“Malignant narcissism” refers to a specific, less common manifestation of narcissistic personality disorder. Some experts consider this presentation of narcissism the most severe subtype.
It isn’t recognized as a formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). But many psychologists and mental health experts have used this term to describe a specific set of personality traits.
According to Campbell’s Psychiatric Dictionary, malignant narcissism combines characteristics of:
- narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
- antisocial personality disorder (APD)
- aggression and sadism, either toward others, self, or both
- paranoia
Read on to learn more about malignant narcissism, including common characteristics, how it compares to sociopathy, and whether it’s treatable…
To read the entire article from Health Line, click https://www.healthline.com/health/malignant-narcissism
