title: Narcissistic vulnerability and the development of PTSD: a prospective study.
abstract: This study empirically examined the role of narcissistic traits and narcissistic vulnerability in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hundred forty-four survivors of a traumatic event were assessed 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months following the event. In the first-week assessment, patients were administered the Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale and self-reported rating scale to assess event severity and symptoms ensuing from the impact of the traumatic event: depression, intrusions, avoidance, and arousal. In the follow-up assessments, subjects were interviewed on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale and were readministered the self-rating symptoms scale. Survivors who developed acute (1 month) and chronic (4 months) PTSD had significantly higher levels of narcissistic vulnerability in the first-week assessment. Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale scores predicted PTSD status with sensitivity of 81.6% and 85.1% and specificity of 40.4% and 38.6% at the 1-month and 4-month assessments, respectively. Narcissistic vulnerabilities contribute to the occurrence of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Eytan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bachar
authors.forename: Hilit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hadar
authors.forename: Arieh Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Shalev
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D009289:Narcissism; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices