Narcissism and Relational Representations Among Psychiatric Outpatients
Abstract
Pathological narcissism is associated with maladaptive interpersonal behavior, although less is known regarding the internal relational representations of narcissistic patients. The authors examined the relationship between pathological narcissism and two constructs that reflect internal representations of relational patterns: quality of object relations and attachment style. Patients attending a psychiatric day treatment program (N = 218) completed measures of narcissism, general psychiatric distress, and attachment style in terms of attachment avoidance and anxiety. A semistructured interview was used to assess quality of object relations. Multiple regression analysis was conducted, controlling for general psychiatric distress. Pathological narcissism was associated with anxious attachment, but not with avoidant attachment. Narcissism was also associated with lower levels of quality of object relations. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of internal representations of self-other relations.
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Deficits in interpersonal functioning and disagreeable interpersonal interactions are a defining characteristic of pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder.
“Deficits in interpersonal functioning and disagreeable interpersonal interactions are a defining characteristic of pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder [2, 42].”
From “It’s not you, it’s me”: identity disturbance as the main contributor to interpersonal problems in pathological narcissism (2023) · cites this paper as [42]
The results are consistent with previous findings and extend the importance of negative internal representations of self in relation to narcissistic functioning.
“These results are consistent with previous findings [21, 27, 42, 69, 78, 80, 87] and extend the importance of negative internal representations of self in relation to narcissistic functioning.”
From “It’s not you, it’s me”: identity disturbance as the main contributor to interpersonal problems in pathological narcissism (2023) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- Kealy, D., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Joyce, A. S., Steinberg, P. I., & Piper, W. E.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality Disorders
- Publisher
- Guilford Publications
- Published
- 2015-06
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 393-407
- ISSN
- 0885-579X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2154220571
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 1.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- pathological narcissism, object relations, attachment styles, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, psychiatric outpatients, psychiatric day treatment, internal representations, self-other relations
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Alberta, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Interview, Psychological, Male, Middle Aged, Narcissism, Object Attachment, Outpatients, Personality Disorders, Psychotherapy, Group, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Self Report
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