Impact of Parental Narcissistic Personality Disorder on Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Child Well-Being: A Systematic Review

Summary & key facts

Researchers looked at studies from 2015 to 2024 to see how a parent's narcissistic personality traits affect their relationship with their child and the child's mental health. They found eight studies. Overall, children of parents with narcissistic traits tended to have worse relationships with their parents and more psychological problems. Different kinds of narcissism mattered: the hostile, self-centred kind was linked to colder and more conflict-filled parenting, while the insecure, hypersensitive kind was linked to children's emotional problems through things like unstable attachment, blame, and harmful parenting. The evidence is still limited, and results varied by study, so more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Key facts:

• The review combined quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2024 and found eight relevant empirical studies.
• Across those studies, higher levels of parental narcissism were tied to poorer parent-child relationship quality and worse psychological outcomes in children.
• Hostile or antagonistic features of what researchers call grandiose narcissism were consistently linked to colder, more conflictual relationships between parent and child.
• Agentic features of grandiose narcissism, which involve confidence and striving for status, showed neutral or mixed links to child outcomes depending on the situation.
• Vulnerable narcissism, which involves insecurity and sensitivity to criticism, was more strongly associated with child maladjustment through pathways such as insecure attachment, being scapegoated, and other harmful parenting practices.
• The studies varied a lot in how they measured narcissism and child outcomes, so the evidence is fragmented and cannot prove cause and effect.
• The authors say it matters to tell different types of narcissism apart and to study the relationship processes that explain why some children are hurt, so future prevention and treatment can be more targeted.

Abstract

Parental narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and narcissistic traits have been increasingly implicated in maladaptive parenting behaviors, emotional unavailability, and disrupted parent-child relationships, all of which are critical determinants of children's psychological and relational development. Despite growing clinical concern, empirical findings on the impact of parental narcissism on child mental health and attachment-related outcomes remain fragmented and conceptually inconsistent. This review synthesizes quantitative research published between 2015 and 2024 to examine the effects of parental NPD and narcissistic traits on parent-child relationship quality and child psychological outcomes. A systematic search of major electronic databases identified eight eligible empirical studies. Across studies, parental narcissism was associated with poorer relational and psychological outcomes in children, with effects varying by narcissism subtype, trait facet, and developmental context. Antagonistic facets of grandiose narcissism were consistently linked to colder and more conflictual parent-child relationships, whereas agentic facets showed neutral or context-dependent associations. Vulnerable narcissism was more strongly associated with child maladjustment through mechanisms such as attachment insecurity, scapegoating, and maladaptive parenting practices. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of differentiating narcissism subtypes and identifying relational mediators to clarify pathways of risk and to inform targeted preventive and clinical interventions.

Topics

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Personality Disorders and Psychopathology Personality Traits and Psychology

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Attachment theory Big Five personality traits Borderline personality disorder Clinical psychology Dark triad Developmental psychology Empirical evidence Empirical research Grandiosity Medicine Mental health Mentalization Narcissism Narcissistic personality disorder Parenting styles Personality Psychology Psychopathy Quality (philosophy) Trait

Conditions & symptoms

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