Work

The Presentation of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in an Octogenarian: Converging Evidence from Multiple Sources

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Little is known about personality disorders (PDs) in later life. One reason for this dearth of knowledge is that many investigators believe that PDs soften with age. Recent anecdotal and empirical evidence, however, suggests that PDs are still very relevant in later life and may actually have unique presentations and consequences. The DSM-IV PD criteria seem to overlook these possibilities, perhaps because the personalities of older adults were not sufficiently understood when these criteria were written. But without age-appropriate criteria, clinicians and investigators who work with older adults may be unable to measure PDs adequately in their clients and research participants. A starting point for better understanding these disorders in older adults is the presentation of rich, empirical, clinical descriptions of symptoms and related behaviors using data from multiple instruments and sources. To this end, we describe in depth a case of narcissistic PD (NPD) in a woman in her mid 80s. This case study reveals that NPD is indeed relevant in the context of later life and impairs functioning in significant ways.

Source: Clinical Gerontologist

DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2011.524821

Authors: Steve Balsis, Nicholas R. Eaton, Luke D. Cooper, Thomas F. Oltmanns

Institutions: Texas A&M University, University of Minnesota, Washington University in St. Louis

Language: English

Topic: Personality Disorders and Psychopathology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health