Narcissists less likely to experience stress or depression, says study
Written by News on 29/10/2019
Narcissism may be viewed as an undesirable personality trait, but researchers say it could give people an advantage in dealing with life’s ups and downs.
The personality trait has been linked with mental “toughness”, meaning narcissists may feel less stressed than others and be less vulnerable to depression.
Narcissistic personality disorder is characterised by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need of excessive attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy.
Despite narcissists often having a fragile ego vulnerable to the slightest criticism, research by Queen’s University Belfast suggests they might actually have an advantage.
Three studies involving more than 700 people found grandiose narcissism – one of the two main branches of the personality trait – boosted mental toughness which can offset symptoms of depression.
People with this personality type had lower levels of perceived stress in their lives.
Dr Kostas Papageorgiou, from Queen’s school of psychology, said grandiose narcissism correlates “with very positive components of mental toughness, such as confidence and goal-orientation, protecting against symptoms of depression and perceived stress”.
“This research really helps to explain variation in symptoms of depression in society – if a person is more mentally tough they are likely to embrace challenges head-on, rather than viewing them as a hurdle.
“While of course not all dimensions of narcissism are good, certain aspects can lead to positive outcomes.”
Dr Papageorgiou suggested that so-called “dark traits” – which also include Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism – “should not be seen as either good or bad, but as products of evolution and expressions of human nature that may be beneficial or harmful depending on the context”.
Whereas grandiose narcissists have an over-inflated sense of importance, vulnerable narcissists are likely to be more defensive and view the behaviour of others as hostile.
(c) Sky News 2019: Narcissists less likely to experience stress or depression, says study
