The fact that the main dimension of ADHD linking the latter with pathological narcissism is hyperactivity/impulsivity reminds of similar observations conducted in ADHD children. Some evidence shows that ADHD children present a specific tendency for
The authors introduce the "Positive Illusory Bias" (PIB) as a known developmental phenomenon in children with ADHD, where they defensively over-estimate their own abilities precisely in areas where they struggle.
Some evidence shows that ADHD children present a specific tendency for inflated self-views called positive illusory bias (PIB), meaning that ADHD children tend to over-estimate their competences in the areas where they are actually deficient (
This provides the developmental origin story for adult narcissism. This "PIB" is the childhood-age version of grandiose narcissism. It's a textbook defensive mechanism that develops in response to facing one's own "deficiency," which directly supports my thesis.
while ADHD-only patients are mostly triggered by impatience and boredom, ADHD with narcissistic traits may also be triggered by threats to self-esteem and positive self-image
It's a "threat-detector" built specifically to protect the self-esteem, which is the exact "core wound" my project investigates.
we also adjusted on BPD status to ensure that the observed associations between narcissistic dimensions and variables traditionally associated with BPD (
The researchers were most likely cognizant of the massive (44.5%) comorbidity with Borderline Personality Disorder in their sample, a condition also defined by emotion dysregulation.
eractive subscore of ASRS (b = 0.04; 95%CI from 0.02 to 0.07; p = 0.002) and the hyperactive/impulsivity/self-concept subscores and the total scores of the CAARS (respectively, b = 0.06, 0.08, 0.06, 0.03; 95%CI from 0.01 to 0.12, 0.03
It statistically separates "vulnerable" narcissism as the form most associated with profound internal distress and self-destructive behavior, reinforcing the "core wound" concept.
PNIg score was positively associated with WURS-25 score (b = 0.01; 95%CI from 0.001 to 0.02; p = 0.023), the hyperactive subscore of ASRS (b = 0.04; 95%CI from 0.02 to 0.07; p = 0.002) a
This is the hard data from Table 3 that links the PNI Vulnerability subscale (not grandiosity) to severe, objective measures of clinical impairment: hospitalization, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicide attempts.
Self-esteem issues are frequent in ADHD patients (
The authors establish at the outset that self-esteem deficits are a well-documented and frequent clinical feature in the ADHD population, particularly in the absence of treatment.
The NPD prevalence rate found in this sample was 10 times superior to the prevalence of NPD in general population, th
Wow, 9.5% NPD in their sample. That's a massive finding and validates the entire premise.
irst, our study underlines the impact of the tool used to assess both ADHD and narcissism on the associations found.
the authors acknowledge sampling limits but still emphasize real-world diagnostic overlap relevant for psychotherapy and medication management.
PN and NPD were assessed in 164 subjects (mean age = 36.5 (11.6), 104 (63.4%) females) suffering from ADHD and seeking treatment in our specialized unit. Briefly, our unit is specialized in the assessment and treatment of adult ADHD and BPD through evidence-based programs. Patients
Large datasets makes the reliability of correlations across the variables stronger, and helps to rule out outlier emotions.
These two dimensions seemed to be negatively associated with well-being and positively associated with most of the other studied psychiatric dimensions except ED, the latter being only associated with vulnerability, even after adjustment on borderline symptoms.
The study separates the emotional instability from grandiosity, identifying the vulnerable subtype as more emotionally responsive, which helps to support the argument that negative self perceptions and sensitivity to criticism in individuals experiencing ADHD can evolve to narcissism.
We found that a significant proportion of ADHD patients suffered from NPD, and that both narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability were associated with ADHD hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms, but not with inattentive symptoms.
this helps to clarify that narcissistic features in ADHD emerge from the impulsivity/hyperactivity dimension rather than from attention deficits.
A recent study by Fantozz et al38 found a significant improvement in emotional and cognitive empathy scores in ADHD patients after they were treated with
The authors cite other, independent research (Fantozzi et al.) that found the same results: empathy improving with ADHD medication.
A substantial body of research indicates that individuals with ADHD exhibit altered behaviors and neural activation patterns both in anticipation of and during the receipt of rewards
The authors explicitly name the "frontal-striatal" regions as the key reward pathway that is altered in ADHD.
time history of alcohol/subs
The baseline characteristics of the 50 patients who completed the study show a high degree of pathology: This demonstrates that the study was conducted on aseverely impaired population. This context makes the positive results (decreased narcissism, increased empathy) even more impressive and clinically significant.
The final study cohort at the end of the third month consisted of 30 patients who received regular pharmacological treatment, h
The study began with 75 patients but lost 25 (a third of the initial sample) to attrition. This high dropout rate is a notable methodological limitation.
Empathy, a vital aspect of social cognition, is essential for a fulfilling social life. Research has identified challenges in facial emotion processing and recognition among adults with
This links the project to another established body of research. The "lack of empathy" associated with narcissism might be an extreme version of, or built upon, a core 'emotion recognition' deficit already present in ADHD
Narcissism is also associated with a weakened frontostriatal pathway, and one theory posits that narcissism is caused by a neural disconnect between the self and reward circuits.
This is the proposed biological mechanism. The ADHD brain (low internal dopamine reward) seeks external validation. This is a brilliant explanation for why someone with ADHD would be prone to developing narcissism!
Highly compelling and unusual insights within the field of psychiatry have underscored the link between narcissistic personality disorder and ADHD.
Good quote to show that this is a valid and important topic in current psychiatric research.
It is plausible that ADHD and personality disorders share a common etiology; however, the developmental processes involved remain challenging to elucidate.
This identifies the exact "gap in the literature" that my research project is trying to fill. They know they're linked, but not how they develop.
he median and minimum–maximum in PNI total score was 134.50 (64-208) pre-treatment, which showed a statistically significant decrease after treatment (P < .001
Empathy increased as narcissism decreased. This suggests the self-focus of narcissism is a "symptom" that fades when the person has more mental resources.
The mean ± Standard Deviation (SD) PNI Vulnerability score decreased statistically significantly from 63.83 ± 26.02 before treatment to 60.06 ± 24.64 after treatment (P = .003).
Treating the core ADHD with medication directly reduces narcissistic traits. This shows the narcissism is a consequence of the untreated ADHD, not a separate, fixed condition. (proof)
Deficits in social information processing may also offer a potential explanation for the association between na
It could be a cognitive distortion (a faulty way of processing social cues) that develops in response to the chronic negative feedback from peers.
Proactive aggression may be associated with immediate external rewards, and behavior of children with ADHD may be particularly driven by immediate
. The authors link the motive for proactive aggression (it provides an immediate external reward, such as social dominance or an object) with the core neurobiology of ADHD (a brain that is highly driven by immediate reinforcement).
rticipants were included in the current study if either the caregiver or teacher completed the measures used to assess narcissistic traits and aggression, and the child did not meet diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder
This exclusion criterion is a large methodological strength. By removing children with full-blown Conduct Disorder, the researchers can be more confident that they are isolating the specific effect of narcissistic traits, rather than confounding them with global antisocial pathology.
there has been a call for investigation of the relationship in other samples, including children [36].
The authors explicitly state that most research on the narcissism-aggression link is conducted on college students. This study is novel because it addresses that gap by investigating the traits in children.
narcissism was not uniquely associated with teacher-reported proactive aggression. This could be the result of either differences or perceived differences in aggressive behavior across home and school environments.
This is an important limitation to note; because the link was only found in caregiver reports, it might mean the behavior is context-specific (home vs. school) or a result of shared rater bias. Need to be honest about this.
narcissism is more strongly related to behavioral problems in the context of low self-esteem [3]. This is an important consideration for children with symptoms of ADHD who are at greater risk for poor self-esteem,
This is the whole thesis in one sentence. 1) ADHD kids are at risk for low self-esteem (from criticism). 2) Narcissism is the defense that builds on top of it.
hildren with ADHD display elevated narcissistic traits compared to their peers [22], and these traits also predict increases in ADHD symptom severity over time [14, 27].
Establishes that this isn't just an adult problem. The link is present early in childhood.
proactive aggression is unprovoked, intentional, and has an instrumental function wherein it is used for the purpose of personal gain or to dominate or coerce others [15, 38, 52]
Perfect definition!! It frames this type of aggression as a "cognitively-driven defensive strategy," not just an emotional outburst. This is my mechanism for narcissism.
narcissism was uniquely associated with higher caregiver-reported proactive aggression but not reactive aggression
the core finding - It separates narcissistic behavior (planned, "proactive") from ADHD's core impulsivity ("reactive").
Due to the lack of validated interviews in Swedish for assessing ADHD in adults, the K-SADS supplement for ADHD was chosen for these young adults.
This is a clear methodological limitation. Using a pediatric tool to diagnose an adult population could potentially impact the validity of the ADHD diagnoses within their sample.
it is unclear whether attachment insecurity leads to ADHD or the other way around. In contrast, the evidence for an association of insecure attachment with BD is limited.
The paper highlights the "chicken or the egg" debate in the field regarding the temporal precedence of attachment insecurity and ADHD.
The categorical approach to mental disorders is, however, often problematic when it concerns disorders with overlapping symptoms such as ADHD, BD and BPD. High rates of comorbidity among them, around 20%, have also been reported, as well as implications of comorbidity’s role as a negative prognostic facto
This validates the project's focus on narcissistic traits and avoidant styles rather than strict NPD or APD diagnoses, aligning the project's methodology with contemporary psychiatric research.
ased on the bio-psycho-social model and biosocial model of BPD development [19], were partly confirmed and could be further explored in future studies
the quote confirms the basic premise of my whole project: that attachment patterns are a valid mechanism for explaining the development of later personality.
The three clusters identified in our analysis did not, however, differ regarding the frequency of childhood trauma. R
It suggests that the type of attachment defense isn't just a product of trauma. This supports my hypothesis that chronic criticism and invalidation (a different kind of negative experience) could be the real driver.
articipants with BPD showed higher DC (M = 4.2, SD = 0.85) compared to participants with ADHD (M = 3.50, SD = 0.85, p = 0.014, Cohen’s d = 0.826), lower CO
BPD insecurity seems rooted in anxiety and fear of closeness, while my other sources suggest ADHD-related defenses are different (more dismissing/proactive).
he secure cluster showed similar scores in all dimensions to the mean scores of the healthy subjects in the Andersson et al. study while the insecure anxious cluster differed regarding DC and CO scores and the insecure/avoidant-anxious cluster regarding DC, CO, NA and PR scores. All three clusters showed similar scores in the RS dimension
The "insecure/avoidant-anxious" cluster (b) is mostly BPD, not ADHD. The "insecure/avoidant" cluster (a) has 11 of the 20 ADHD patients. This separates the two disorders.
hree distinct clusters were identified: a secure, an insecure/avoidant-anxious and an insecure/avoidant cluster. T
The study's cluster analysis proves that "insecure/avoidant" is a valid, measurable profile in this clinical population.
It should be kept in mind that challenges of parenting a child with ADHD may also have effects on parent-child attachment.
They're acknowledging it here. It's not "bad parents" causing it, but the challenges of parenting an ADHD child that strains the bond.
review showed that there is a reciprocal relationship between ADHD and attachment problems, and when one occurs, the risk of developing the other increases (Storebø et al., 2016). Similarly, in a study examining the attachment characteristics of children with ADHD between the ages of 6 and 10, showed that ADHD symptoms were more severe in children with disorganized attachment than in those with secure attachment (Scholtens et al., 2014)
This "reciprocal relationship" is a great concept. It's a feedback loop: ADHD makes attachment harder, and bad attachment makes ADHD symptoms (like emotion dysregulation) worse.
the control group consisted of children who applied to the Pediatrics outpatient clinic of our hospital in the years 2020-2021 mostly with flu-like symptoms.
This is a "convenience sample," not a perfectly healthy, screened control. Good to be aware of this as a limitation. At least they're not from the psych clinic.
ADHD is defined as a self-regulation disorder since problems in self-regulation skills such as impulse control, calming, and focusing on a goal constitute the core symptoms of ADHD.
Good definition. It frames ADHD as a "self-regulation disorder," which connects directly to the Duarte/Odar Stough idea that H/I (a self-regulation failure) is what drives the defensive personality.
e attachment levels to be higher in all of the children with ADHD than in non-ADHD controls
This finding shows insecure attachment isn't universal in ADHD, but is a key factor when anxiety is also present. This refines my project by suggesting insecure (avoidant) attachment may be a critical variable that mediates the link between ADHD and anxiety.
tudy also showed that anxiety in children with ADHD is associated more with maternal than paternal attachment proble
The data specifically points to the maternal relationship as the key factor. This helps narrow my focus on the primary caregiver.
Emotional Lability/Negativity scores were also significantly higher in the ADHD/ANX(+) subgroup than the ADHD/AN
Emotional dysregulation is the link. It's at its worst when ADHD and anxiety are combined. This supports my idea that the defenses (narcissism, avoidance) are built to cope with this specific emotional pain.
ADHD symptoms may cause negative feedback from the environment causing peer rejection, which can increase anxiety
The social mechanism: ADHD isn't just a brain thing; the social rejection it causes leads to anxiety. This would fit my "criticism" and "inadequacy" hypothesis.
Paternal and maternal attachment security levels were lower in the ADHD/ANX(+) group compared to the controls.
The link isn't just "ADHD -> insecure attachment." It's "ADHD + Anxiety -> insecure attachment." This is a crucial distinction for my research.
The regression analysis indicated that higher hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom levels and lower maternal attachment quality were associated with higher anxiety in children with ADHD.
These are the two key predictors: the child's H/I symptoms + poor maternal attachment. This is the "formative childhood experience" I'm looking for.
urthermore, other required hardware components such as storage drives and central processing units (CPUs) need plastics for casings and insulation, while microchips and semiconductors rely on silicon and metals like gold, copper, and aluminum. Mining these resources has had disastrous environmental consequences for local communities, including water contamination, air pollution, and soil degradation—all of which exemplify a broader trend of increased environmental footprint, requiring substantial resources from around the world. Another environmental impact of GenAI pertains to e-waste generation and the fact that some of the materials used in GPUs or data centers are non-recyclable, exacerbating environmental pollution and waste management challenges.
It seems that the pursuit in refining this generative AI technology comes at the dire cost of earth's natural resources and increased pollution into the environment. What I'd like to question is, who is receiving the benefits while the other suffers? I have a strong suspicion that 3rd world countries will be further widened in the disparity gap as wealthy companies will continue to exploit and destroy the resources available.