Peer-reviewed article
Impact of Parental Narcissistic Personality Disorder on Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Child Well-Being: A Systematic Review
Eirini Orovou, Vaidas Jotautis, Eleni Vousoura, Ioannis Koutelekos, Nikolaos Rigas et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review examines how parental narcissistic personality disorder affects children's well-being and parent-child relationships. The review analyzed eight studies published between 2015 and 2024 and found that parental narcissism is associated with poorer relationship quality and psychological outcomes in children. The effects differ depending on the type of narcissism—grandiose narcissism linked to cold and conflictual relationships, while vulnerable narcissism is more strongly associated with child maladjustment through attachment problems and poor parenting practices.
Key points
- Parental narcissism was consistently associated with poorer relational and psychological outcomes in children across studies
- Antagonistic facets of grandiose narcissism were linked to colder and more conflictual parent-child relationships
- Agentic facets of grandiose narcissism showed neutral or context-dependent associations with child outcomes
- Vulnerable narcissism was more strongly associated with child maladjustment through attachment insecurity, scapegoating, and maladaptive parenting
- Effects of parental narcissism vary by narcissism subtype, trait facet, and developmental context
Limitations
This is a systematic review of existing studies rather than primary research, so it cannot establish causation or measure intervention effects. The review identified only eight eligible studies, which limits the breadth of evidence available and may reflect gaps in the empirical literature on this topic.
Abstract
Parental narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and narcissistic traits have been increasingly implicated in maladaptive parenting behaviors, emotional unavailability, and disrupted parent-child relationships, all of which are critical determinants of children's psychological and relational development. Despite growing clinical concern, empirical findings on the impact of parental narcissism on child mental health and attachment-related outcomes remain fragmented and conceptually inconsistent. This review synthesizes quantitative research published between 2015 and 2024 to examine the effects of parental NPD and narcissistic traits on parent-child relationship quality and child psychological outcomes. A systematic search of major electronic databases identified eight eligible empirical studies. Across studies, parental narcissism was associated with poorer relational and psychological outcomes in children, with effects varying by narcissism subtype, trait facet, and developmental context. Antagonistic facets of grandiose narcissism were consistently linked to colder and more conflictual parent-child relationships, whereas agentic facets showed neutral or context-dependent associations. Vulnerable narcissism was more strongly associated with child maladjustment through mechanisms such as attachment insecurity, scapegoating, and maladaptive parenting practices. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of differentiating narcissism subtypes and identifying relational mediators to clarify pathways of risk and to inform targeted preventive and clinical interventions.