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Pathological narcissism implies a fragile self-view. The psychological effects of ego-relevant events in people high in pathological narcissism, however, are still uncertain. The study examined the effects of pathological narcissism on psychological reactions to ego-relevant events occurring in private or public settings. Participants (N = 410) completed measures of pathological narcissistic traits, and then they took part in a scenario-based experimental session. They were randomly assigned to four conditions: ego-threatening vs. ego-fostering events in public vs. private settings. Self-esteem and affective states before and after the experimental manipulation were measured. Results showed that vulnerable and grandiose manifestations of pathological narcissism affect differently psychological reactions to ego-relevant events. Vulnerable narcissism made people particularly sensitive to ego-threatening and ego-fostering events, especially when occurring in public settings. Grandiose narcissism was linked to a reduction in emotional responses to ego-relevant events. Findings suggest that self- and affective reactions to ego-relevant events depend on narcissistic prevailing manifestations, and that public exposure has a key role in vulnerable narcissism.

The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted individuals’ psychological wellbeing resulting in heightened perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. However, a significant issue in accessing psychological care during a lockdown is the lack of access to in-person interventions. In this regard, research has shown the efficacy and utility of psychological app-based interventions. ‘Italia Ti Ascolto’ (ITA) has been developed as a population tailored internet-based intervention to offer an online professional solution for psychological support needs. The ITA app is available on iOS and Android systems. Users completed a baseline assessment on emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), psychological stress, anxiety, depression, and perceived social support. Participants could select among several one-hour long clinical groups held by expert psychotherapists. After every session, people were asked to complete a quick users’ satisfaction survey. Our contribution presents ITA’s intervention protocol and discusses preliminary data on psychological variables collected at baseline. Data showed significant associations between emotion regulation strategies, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and level of stress. Moreover, the role of perceived social support is considered. Future developments and implications for clinical practice and treatment are discussed.

The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is extensively used in recent empirical literature on pathological narcissism. However, most studies using the PNI are community-based, and no studies have used the PNI to investigate narcissistic presentations in personality disordered patients. This study investigates measurement invariance of the PNI in community participants and patients with personality disorders, and examines differences of narcissistic presentations in these samples through a multimethod approach. Results show that the PNI can be used reliably to measure and compare traits of pathological narcissism in community participants and patients with personality disorders. Personality disordered patients show higher traits reflecting vulnerable narcissism and overt manifestations of grandiose narcissism, compared with controls. Finally, network analysis indicates that traits of grandiose fantasies and entitlement rage have a central role in defining manifestations of PNI pathological narcissism, regardless of the presence of an underlying personality disorder. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Objective: Clinical theories suggest that narcissists have a compromised self-concept. However, empirical investigation on attributes of the self that would be impaired in pathological narcissism is limited and inconsistent. The present study aims at detecting distinctive profiles of narcissistic manifestations on facets of the self that have been indicated as relevant in clinical and empirical literature on narcissism. Method: We measured adaptive and pathological narcissistic traits in a community sample of adults (N = 539). Participants also completed measures of self-uniqueness, self-authenticity, self-consistency, and self-other comparisons on agentic and communal domains. Results: Results indicate distinctive profiles of adaptive and pathological narcissistic manifestations on these facets of the self. Among the set of distinctive facets for each narcissistic manifestation, however, some showed to have a more prominent role. Adaptive and pathological narcissism were captured mostly by a greater sense and need for uniqueness that was primarily expressed by public exposure. Sense of superiority over others in the agentic domain, however, showed to have an essential role only in adaptive narcissism. Moreover, self-concept in adaptive grandiose narcissism was qualified by high levels of self-authenticity and a consistent sense of self. Self-concept in vulnerable pathological narcissism revealed greatest impairment, especially in facets of high concern regarding others’ reactions and feeling of a tenuous existence. Conclusions: The study points out that adaptive and pathological manifestations of narcissism can be profiled based on specific facets of self. Theoretical and research implications are discussed.

Purpose of Review We report evidence on the negative psychological effects of pandemics in people with personality disorders (PDs) and on the role of personality pathology in compliance with mitigation-related behaviors. Considering the paucity of studies, after a description of the main features of PDs, on the basis of the current literature on pandemic and quarantine mental health impact, we trace some clinical hypotheses. Recent Findings Paranoid traits and detachment (cluster A) might lead to worse psychological outcomes. Cluster B patients may show more intense stress-related reactions and react strongly to social distancing, especially considering borderline personality disorder. Cluster C patients might be particularly prone to anxiety and stress due to fear of contagion and may be less flexible in adaptation to new routines. Evidence on compliance with mitigation measures is mixed, with lower compliance in cluster B patients and higher in cluster C ones. Summary We suggest that PD patients might be particularly affected by pandemics. Furthermore, they might react differently, according to their main diagnosis. Similarly, compliance with mitigation measures may differ according to specific PDs. Our results should be considered as a starting point to reflect on therapeutic strategies to be adopted in the post-COVID-19 situation.