Individuals with a high degree of narcissism may be more likely to engage in excessive daydreaming that significantly affects their lives and daily function, according to a report in the Journal of Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice. Those with narcissism who employ immature defensive reactions—such as denial, projection, and/or acting out—appear to be at the highest risk of maladaptive daydreaming.
Although not recognized in DSM, maladaptive daydreaming is a condition “characterized by an excessively immersive use of fantasy and imagination, involving detailed and vivid scenarios that significantly impact an individual’s daily life,” wrote Alessia Renzi, Ph.D., and Rachele Mariana, Ph.D., of Rome University. They added: “Preliminary findings from a population study estimate that approximately 2.5% of people experience clinical‐level impairment due to these immersive daydreams.”
A total of 562 individuals completed an online survey that included a demographic questionnaire and three measurement tools:
- The 16‐item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS), in which participants rate their daydreaming experiences on a scale from zero (never/none of the time) to 100% (extremely frequent/all the time).
- The Defense Mechanism Rating Scales‐Self‐Report, which assesses 30 individual defense mechanisms categorized into mature, immature, and neurotic defenses.
- The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI), which measures seven dimensions of narcissism (entitlement rage, exploitativeness, grandiose fantasy, self‐sacrificing self‐enhancement, contingent self‐esteem, hiding the self, and devaluing).
The researchers found that 29% of individuals reported an MDS score of 40 or higher, suggesting probable maladaptive daydreaming. There was a significant positive association between narcissism symptomatology and MDS scores—both for overall PNI score and scores on each of the seven narcissistic traits.
“Narcissism therefore both in its grandiose aspects and in its more intimate manifestations presents a close relationship with the controlled creation of daytime fantasies,” Renzi and Mariana wrote.
The link between narcissistic traits and MDS scores was mediated in part through the use of immature defenses, whereas mature defenses offered some protection against maladaptive daydreaming.
The researchers said that the results highlight “how possible treatments and clinical interventions that promote the use of mature defense mechanisms can help people, especially young adults, to cope with psychological distress caused by narcissistic fragility.” They added that “treatments with a psychodynamic orientation (such as defense‐based therapies, transference‐focus therapy or mentalizing‐based therapy) seem best suited to … reflecting on one’s defensive dynamics and promoting the use of mature ones.”
For related information, see the Psychiatric News Special Report “How to Work With Patients Using Problem-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapies.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Orla)
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