Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a condition marked by a pattern of grandiosity, fixation on power fantasies, desire for admiration, arrogance, lack of empathy, and envy.
Individuals with NPD may be overly sensitive to criticism, though they may hide their fragile self-esteem behind a self-important exterior.NPD is estimated to be the second most prevalent personality disorder, affecting about 6.2% of the population1.
It is one of ten personality disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Along with histrionic, antisocial, and borderline personality disorders, NPD is a Cluster B disorder, which causes affected individuals to appear erratic, emotional, or dramatic.Though symptoms may manifest in different ways, people with NPD experience at least five of the following2:[Self-Test: Borderline Personality Disorder]Though the DSM symptoms are used to diagnose NPD, the following associated features may help clinicians support a diagnosis.
These can include3:Though both the DSM-5 and popular ideas of narcissism center on open arrogance, NPD researchers identify two different subgroups: grandiose and vulnerable.Grandiose narcissism is the familiar self-important expression of narcissism.