Mentalization-Based Treatment for Pathological Narcissism

Summary & key facts

This paper says that clear treatment rules for pathological narcissism do not exist yet. The authors suggest using mentalization-based treatment, a therapy that already helps people with borderline personality disorder. They explain how trouble understanding thoughts and feelings—called mentalization—may underlie narcissism, describe therapy techniques, and say this approach is practical and worth testing in future research and clinics.

Key facts:

• There are no established, evidence-based treatment guidelines for pathological narcissism yet.
• The authors propose mentalization-based treatment, a therapy that is already evidence-based for borderline personality disorder, as a main option for pathological narcissism.
• Mentalization means being able to understand your own thoughts and feelings and those of other people. The authors argue that people with pathological narcissism often have impairments in this ability.
• The paper brings together research on parenting styles, attachment patterns, and empathy to build a developmental model linking early relationships to later problems with mentalization.
• The authors outline specific MBT techniques and give clinical examples to show how the therapy could be used with people who have pathological narcissism.
• They describe MBT as accessible, relatively easy to put into practice, and not highly demanding of extra resources, which makes it a practical candidate for wider use.
• The paper does not claim MBT is proven to treat pathological narcissism. The authors call for future empirical studies and clinical testing to evaluate whether it works for this condition.

Abstract

Despite the growing cultural and empirical interest in pathological narcissism (PN), effective treatment guidelines for PN have not yet been established. This article develops mentalization-based treatment (MBT), a leading evidence-based therapy for borderline personality disorder, as a primary intervention for PN. Synthesizing research on parenting styles, attachment patterns, and empathy in PN, the authors propose a developmental model of narcissism centering on impairments in mentalization. Core therapeutic techniques of MBT for PN are outlined, including clinical examples to illustrate practical implementation. As an accessible, easy-to-operationalize, and resource-sensitive therapeutic approach, MBT offers considerable promise for future empirical investigation and clinical applications in the treatment of patients with pathological narcissism.

Topics

Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders Personality Disorders and Psychopathology Personality Traits and Psychology

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Borderline personality disorder Empathy Epistemology Grandiosity Medicine Mentalization Narcissism Narcissistic personality disorder Operationalization Pathological Pathology Personality Personality disorders Philosophy Psychology Psychotherapist Social psychology

Conditions & symptoms

Feeling disconnected from others