Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Trends in Communities and Prison Populations, and Its Association with Criminal Behavior

This article aims to discuss worldwide trends in the prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) among prisoners compared to community samples. We also aim to show how this disorder is associated with criminal behavior and types of offenses. The results of the literature review document a relatively low and stable prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder compared to the frequency of other specified personality disorders in many countries worldwide. The results suggest that the rates of narcissistic personality disorder among prisoners in many countries are higher than those in communities. It has been found that this disorder is associated with domestic violence and other violent criminal behaviors, particularly with fraud and forgery violations. It has also been shown that offenders with narcissistic personality disorder are perceived as less guilty. Furthermore, research on the treatment of offenders with narcissistic personality disorder is sparse, which indicates that the treatment of NPD is limited, and it poses a challenge for mental health professionals as well as those who work in the penitentiary system.