The following is a summary of “Impulsivity mediates the association between narcissism and substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use: a longitudinal observational study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Hildebrandt et al.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to examine if specific aspects of narcissism and impulsivity explain why people experience substance-related problems beyond simply using substances.
They evaluated narcissism, impulsivity, substance use motives, past-year substance use, and substance-related problems in a group of 139 (poly-)substance users, with 121 completing a one-year follow-up. In analyzing significant longitudinal links between narcissism factors and substance-related issues, impulsivity, and substance use motives were explored as potential mediators.
The results showed that grandiose narcissism (r =.24, P=.007) and its subcomponents, antagonistic (r =.27, P=.003) and agentic narcissism (r =.18, P=.050), but not vulnerable narcissism, prospectively forecasted substance-related issues beyond substance use levels. The links between grandiose narcissism and antagonistic narcissism with substance-related problems were entirely mediated by impulsivity, with no involvement of substance use motives. Impulsivity accounted for approximately one-third of the association with substance-related problems for both grandiose (estimated mediation coefficient, P^M = 0.30) and antagonistic narcissism (P^M = 0.26).
Investigators concluded that grandiose narcissism, particularly its antagonistic and agentic facets, predicted substance-related problems beyond just substance use, with impulsivity acting as the key mediator.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05718-y