Narcissistic Traits, Self-Esteem and Aggression Symptoms in Children and Adolescents With...

Although it is well established that many children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience considerable difficulties during the transition to adolescence, the specific pathways linking childhood ADHD to aggressive behaviour remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aims to examine self-esteem, narcissistic traits and aggressive behaviours in adolescent boys with ADHD to clarify the psychological mechanisms that may contribute to the emergence or maintenance of aggression within this population. The study group comprised 80 boys aged 9-14 years with ADHD, and the control group comprised 41 healthy boys. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Aggression Scale for Children-Parent Form, Narcissistic Personality Inventory and Turgay ADHD Rating Scale. Children and adolescents completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Childhood Narcissism Scale, respectively. The ADHD group exhibited significantly lower self-esteem scores and higher child narcissism and aggression scores. However, no significant correlations were found between the children's narcissism scale scores and the subscales of the aggression scale. This study highlights the importance of therapeutic interventions that address narcissism and self-esteem, even in the absence of a direct link to aggression.