Is there an association between the level of grandiose narcissism severity of psychopathology?

BACKGROUND Narcissism is a personality trait associated with both psychological health and resilience as well as with aggression and interpersonal problems. AIM This study compares levels of total narcissism and subscale scores in inpatients, outpatients and a community sample. METHODS Inpatients (N = 186) were recruited from consecutively admitted patients to two closed units, and the outpatient group (N = 144) consisted of patients attending a psychiatric outpatient clinic. The patients and a normative community sample (N = 437) all filled in the Narcissistic Personality Inventory questionnaire (NPI-29). RESULTS The NPI total and subscales scores showed considerable gender differences. Among men only the Uniqueness/Entitlement subscale showed significant group differences, with inpatients showing higher mean score than the two other groups. Among women three factors, Leadership/Power, Superiority/Arrogance, and Uniqueness/ Entitlement, showed significant differences between the different levels of psychopathology. The outpatient female group regularly had the lowest group mean scores. The NPI-29 scores of the normative group showed weak internal consistencies. CONCLUSION Our hypothesis of a significant association between mean levels of total narcissism and subscale scores and severity of psychopathology was not supported.