Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Clinical Features

The author discusses the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria of narcissistic personality disorder in the context of Kernberg’s and Kohut’s observations and theorizing. He also describes other clinical manifestations of this disorder often mentioned in the literature but not included in DSM-III-R, and attempts to integrate these features into a comprehensive clinical description that distinguishes (1) features that are invariably present either emanating from the grandiose self or defensively protecting or covering up the grandiose self, and (2) features that become manifest episodically in the setting of narcissistic involvements with other people.