Pathological Narcissism: A Study of Burden on Partners and Family

Summary & key facts

Researchers surveyed about 700 people who were close to a relative with pathological narcissism — mostly romantic partners but also some parents and other family members. They found these relatives reported a lot of emotional burden, and many had signs of depression or anxiety. The study also found that whether the narcissism looked more grandiose or more vulnerable, the type of relationship, and how people coped were linked to how much harm they experienced. The authors note the sample may not represent everyone, so the results describe this group but may not apply to all families.

Key facts:

• The study asked 683 people who were close to someone with pathological narcissism to report on grief, burden, mental health, and coping.
• About 78% of the respondents were romantic partners, about 9% were mothers, and about 10% were other family members.
• People in this sample reported burden that was more than 1.5 standard deviations higher than what is usually reported by carers of people with mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorders. This means their burden was substantially larger than what
• About 70% of the respondents met criteria suggesting depression, and about 80% met criteria suggesting an anxiety disorder. These are high rates compared with general caregiving groups.
• Whether the person with pathological narcissism showed a more grandiose (outwardly arrogant) or more vulnerable (insecure and sensitive) style, the kind of relationship, and the way the respondent coped were all linked to the level of psych
• The authors warn that the way participants were recruited could bias the results. That means these findings describe this sample but may not apply to all people living with someone with pathological narcissism.

Abstract

Pathological narcissism is characterized by impaired interpersonal functioning, but few studies have examined the impact of the disorder on those living in a close relationship. Participants (N = 683; comprising romantic partners [77.8%], mothers [8.5%] or other family members [10%]) in a close relationship with a relative with pathological narcissism completed measures assessing levels of grief, burden, mental health, and coping style. Participants' reported burden was over 1.5 standard deviations above comparison carers of people with mood, neurotic, or psychotic disorders, and higher than carers of people with borderline personality disorder. Similarly, caseness for depression (69% of sample) or anxiety disorders (82%) in the sample was high. Relationship type, subtype expression (vulnerable/grandiose), and coping style were all found to significantly relate to experienced psychopathology. Although limitations exist regarding sample selection that may influence interpretation of results, these findings quantify the significant interpersonal impact of pathological narcissism in this sample.

Topics

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

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Anxiety Clinical psychology Coping (psychology) Grandiosity Medicine Mood Narcissism Narcissistic personality disorder Neuroticism Pathological Pathology Personality Personality disorders Psychiatry Psychology Psychopathology Social psychology

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Depression Anxiety or worry Feeling disconnected from others Sadness or low mood