“The use of narcissistic personality disorder as the primary clinical
diagnosis is probably relatively unusual in both outpatient and
inpatient settings.”1
General Population: Less than 1%2
Clinical Population: Range from 2% to 16%.3 Rates of diagnosis seem to be higher in outpatient private settings.4
Narcissistic personality style and significant narcissistic personality traits are thought to be common in Western culture.5
A recently published study of 2,053 individuals between 18 and 65 years of age that used the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders suggests that the prevalence rates for personality disorders in the general population has been underreported. Their findings indicate that 13.4% of the population sample had one or more personality disorder; the authors believe that a longitudinal study of larger community samples is needed to fully understand these findings.6
Ronningstam believes that the rates of diagnosing NPD vary by clinical setting. She asserts that the clinical settings in which psychoanalytic and psychodynamic perspectives are employed are those in which NPD is more frequently diagnosed. Additionally, the diagnosis is made more frequently in private practice and small clinics providing outpatient or couples treatment than in inpatient or larger psychiatric hospital clinics.7
Click on the note number to return to where you were above; click on the author's name to go to the bibliographic entry.1Gunderson, Ronningstam, & Smith, 1995, p. 203
2APA, 2000
3APA, 2000
4Gunderson, Ronningstam, & Smith, 1995, p. 203
5Ronningstam, 1999
6Torgersen, 2001
7Ronningstam, 1999