Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38622531›Full record

Observational studyBMC psychiatry2024

Impulsivity mediates the association between narcissism and substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use: a longitudinal observational study.

Malin K Hildebrandt, Josepha Noack, Raoul Wuellhorst, Tanja Endrass, Emanuel Jauk

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Malin K HildebrandtInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chair of Addiction Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46a, 01187, Dresden, Germany. malin.hildebrandt@googlemail.com.
Josepha NoackInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chair of Addiction Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46a, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
Raoul WuellhorstInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chair of Addiction Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46a, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
Tanja EndrassInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chair of Addiction Research, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46a, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
Emanuel JaukDepartment of Medical Psychology, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 3, 8036, Graz, Austria.
Technische Universität Dresden · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNarcissism has been implied as a putative risk factor for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, previous research did not disentangle the degree of substance use from substance-related problems, the symptoms of SUDs. This preregistered study addressed the open question whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and their constituent traits convey specific SUD risk, that is, explain substance-related problems beyond the degree of use. Furthermore, we tested whether impulsivity or substance use motives linked to narcissistic self-regulation mediate this association.

methodsNarcissism, impulsivity, substance use motives, past-year substance use, and substance-related problems were assessed in 139 (poly-)substance users, 121 of whom completed a one-year follow-up. For significant longitudinal associations between narcissism factors and substance-related problems controlled for the degree of use, we tested impulsivity and substance use motives as mediators.

resultsGrandiose narcissism (r =.24, p =.007) and its constituent factors antagonistic (r =.27, p =.003) and agentic narcissism (r =.18, p =.050), but not vulnerable narcissism, prospectively predicted substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. Associations of grandiose narcissism and antagonistic narcissism with substance-related problems were fully mediated by impulsivity, but not substance use motives. Impulsivity explained roughly one third of the association of both grandiose (P̂ DISCUSSION: We demonstrate that grandiose narcissism- particularly antagonistic but also agentic narcissism- is specifically linked to substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. The mediating effect of impulsivity but not substance use motives suggests that impulsivity may be a more important mechanism than narcissistic self-regulation in promoting SUD in narcissism. However, future studies may use more targeted measures than substance use motives to further probe the role of self-regulation. Similar result patterns for alcohol compared to all substances together indicate that mechanisms may be alike across substances. In conclusion, narcissistic individuals may not use substances more but have a higher SUD risk, informing prevention and treatment.

Indexed as

NarcissismSubstance-Related DisordersDelusionsHumansImpulsive BehaviorMotivationAddictionImpulsivityNarcissismSubstance use disorderSubstance use motives

Identifiers

PMID38622531
PMCPMC11017556
OpenAlexW4394814949

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.