[Narcissism-Normal, pathological, grandiose, vulnerable?].

Personality psychology subdivides the narcissism of healthy persons into the grandiose and the vulnerable types (2 factor model), which can be further described in a more differentiated way with the three personality factors extroversion, intolerance/antagonism and neuroticism (3 factor model). The grandiose and the vulnerable types of narcissism can also be found in narcissistically disturbed patients. The narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which in DSM‑5 is exclusively characterized by the grandiose features also shows vulnerable features; however, these are hidden behind the grandiose features.

Shame in patients with narcissistic personality disorder.

Shame has been described as a central emotion in narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). However, there is a dearth of empirical data on shame in NPD. Patients with NPD (N=28), non-clinical controls (N=34) and individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD, N=31) completed self-report measures of state shame, shame-proneness, and guilt-proneness.

When grandiosity and vulnerability collide: Implicit and explicit self-esteem in patients with narcissistic personality disorder.

Background And Objectives: Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is characterized by reports of grandiosity including exaggerated illusions of superiority and entitlement (DSM-IV-TR, APA, 2000). Based on clinical theories (e.g.

Gender differences in a clinical sample of patients with borderline personality disorder.

The aim of the study was to investigate gender differences and similarities in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) with respect to Axis I comorbidity, Axis II comorbidity, general psychopathology (Symptom Checklist 90-Revised), and dimensional personality traits (NEO-Personality-Inventory Revised [NEO-PI-R] and the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Profile Basic questionnaire [DAPP-BQ]). Fifty-seven men and 114 women with BPD were included in the study. Regarding Axis I and II disorders in an exploratory analysis, men with BPD more often fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder, antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and conduct disorder in childhood, whereas women had higher frequencies of bulimia nervosa, posttraumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder with agoraphobia.

Considering DSM-5: personality diagnostics in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of personality disorders (PD) in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), to examine the interaction of axis-I and axis-II symptoms to provide an estimate on the confounding potential of SSD psychopathology in the establishment of DSM-IV PD diagnoses, and to discuss implications concerning the proposed changes in DSM-5. Patients with SSD, aged 18 to 65 years, and being at least partially remitted (PANSS total score < 75) were included. PD was examined categorically and dimensionally using the SCID-II screening questionnaire and interview, and SSD psychopathology was rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS).

Perception of social participation in borderline personality disorder.

Interpersonal dysfunction is a key feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Distorted perception of participation in social situations and altered emotional responses could contribute to these typical interpersonal problems in BPD. Thirty patients with BPD were compared with a healthy control group (n = 30) in their perceptions and subjective emotional reactions to situations of social inclusion and exclusion.

Lack of empathy in patients with narcissistic personality disorder.

The study's objective was to empirically assess cognitive and emotional empathy in patients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). To date, "lack of empathy" is a core feature of NPD solely based on clinical observation. The study's method was that forty-seven patients with NPD, 53 healthy controls, and 27 clinical controls with borderline personality disorder (BPD) were included in the study.

Deinstitutionalization in Europe: two recent examples from Germany and Hungary.

Deinstitutionalization has made possible the development of modern community psychiatric services, however radical decrease in the number of hospital beds may result in a reduction in the overall standard of psychiatric care and disruptions in service delivery. The authors present an example of deinstitutionalisation in Hungary, which led to serious difficulties in the provision of healthcare in the field of psychiatry, contrasted with a case from Germany serving as an example of an alternative solution.

Group therapy module to enhance self-esteem in patients with borderline personality disorder: a pilot study.

Psychotherapeutic treatments of borderline personality disorder (BPD) often focus on severe behavioral problems. Until now, few techniques have been developed to specifically address low self-esteem in BPD. We developed a 6-session psychoeducative group therapy module to treat low self-esteem in BPD patients.

Discrepancies between explicit and implicit self-esteem are linked to symptom severity in borderline personality disorder.

The present study examined whether discrepancies between explicit and implicit self-esteem are associated with symptom severity in a sample of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We hypothesized that implicit-explicit self-esteem discrepancies foster autoaggressive behavior and dysphoria, and impair self-perception. We found that the two forms of self-esteem discrepancies, damaged and fragile self-esteem were related to the severity of overall borderline symptoms, autoaggression, dysphoria, and deficits in self-perception.

Dialectic behavioural therapy has an impact on self-concept clarity and facets of self-esteem in women with borderline personality disorder.

Identity disturbance and an unstable sense of self are core criteria of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and significantly contribute to the suffering of the patient. These impairments are hypothesized to be reflected in low self-esteem and low self-concept clarity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an inpatient dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) programme on self-esteem and self-concept clarity.

Emotional intelligence and mental disorder.

Emotional abilities were measured with a performance test of emotional intelligence (The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002) in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, substance abuse disorder, or borderline personality disorder (BPD), and a nonclinical control group. Findings showed that all clinical groups differed from controls with respect to their overall emotional intelligence score, which dovetails with previous findings from self-report measures. Specifically, we found that the ability to understand emotional information and the ability to regulate emotions best distinguished the groups.

[Comorbidity in patients with narcissistic personality disorder in comparison to patients with borderline personality disorder].

Background: Patients with a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) do not often consult a psychotherapist or psychiatrist because of their NPD, but rather, because of co-occurring psychiatric disorders, or higher general symptom stress. Until now there is no actual data about rates of co-occurrence disorders and general symptom stress.

Objective: Which axis I and axis II disorders occur typically in NPD in comparison to patients with a borderline personality disorder (BPD)? How are general symptom stress and depressive symptoms related?

Methods: Prevalence of co-occurring disorders (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV for Axis I and Axis II) and general symptom stress (SCL-90-R) and depression (BDI) were investigated in 62 patients with a NPD, 62 patients with a BPD and 59 patients with a double diagnosis NPD/BPD.

Declarative and procedural memory consolidation during sleep in patients with borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by changes in subjective and objective measures of sleep quality. As recent findings point to the importance of sleep in memory consolidation, sleep-related memory consolidation was investigated in 15 female BPD patients (mean age 26.1+/-6.

Emotion identification and tension in female patients with borderline personality disorder.

Objectives: This study investigates the identification of emotions in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), when compared with mentally healthy control subjects. The inability to identify different emotions is considered as an essential component of affect dysregulation in BPD that has rarely been empirically investigated.

Methods: In this study, 30 female borderline patients and 28 healthy control participants received a handheld-PC for a 24-hour period that reminded them hourly to enter data.

[Narcissism--variable of personality and personality disorder].

Objective: This review provides information about the current state of knowledge concerning narcissism.

Methods: Viewing narcissism as a psychological construct, a dimension of personality and as a psychiatric disease, presenting of models about development and treatment of narcissistic tendencies or of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Statements about phenomenology, diagnosis, and classification, comorbidity, epidemiology, pharmacological treatment and current psychotherapy, and prognosis of NPD are presented.

A neural network reflecting individual differences in cognitive processing of emotions during perceptual decision making.

Even simple perceptual decisions are influenced by the emotional content of a stimulus. Recent neuroimaging studies provide evidence about the neural mechanisms of perceptual decision making on emotional stimuli. However, the effect of individual differences in cognitive processing of emotions on perceptual decision making remains poorly understood.

[Schizotypal personality disorder--diagnosis and treatment].

Schizotypal personality disorder is relatively common disorder, and is considered to be a mild form of schizophrenia. It is characterized by such "psychotic" symptoms as ideas of reference, odd or magical thinking, perceptual illusions and an inappropriate or flattened affect. In their contact with others, patients show odd expression and behavior.

Stress and the brain.

Stress is a risk factor for a variety of illnesses, involving the same hormones that ensure survival during a period of stress. Although there is a considerable ambiguity in the definition of stress, a useful operational definition is: "anything that induces increased secretion of glucocorticoids". The brain is a major target for glucocorticoids.

Developmental expression of the zinc finger transcription factor DRRF (dopamine receptor regulating factor).

Dopamine receptor regulating factor (DRRF) is a novel transcription factor with unique anatomical distribution and functional properties, suggesting its importance in regulating dopaminergic neurotransmission. To gain insight into the in vivo function of this factor during embryogenesis, we studied its distribution at embryonic days E8-E16 in the mouse using in situ hybridization. DRRF mRNA is expressed uniquely during development at all time points tested with high levels observed at E12, E14 and E16 in various tissues.