Which narcissists are more stressed? The link between narcissistic forms and stress experience in a five-day diary study during COVID-19

<p dir="ltr">This study investigates the relationship between different forms of narcissism and<br>stress, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a mixed-method diary design, 427 participants<br>were surveyed over five consecutive days to examine the associations between their stress<br>levels and stress experiences concerning agentic grandiose, communal grandiose,<br>antagonistic, and vulnerable narcissism. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative<br>analyses. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Quantitative findings<br>indicate that narcissism is weakly associated with stress, with stronger links for vulnerable<br>and antagonistic narcissism and weaker associations for grandiose forms. Among all types,<br>communal grandiose narcissism showed the weakest association with stress. Qualitative<br>analyses revealed that narcissists displayed little concern for communal stressors, highlighting<br>the central role of antagonism in the narcissism-stress link. These findings contribute to the<br>narcissistic personality spectrum by demonstrating how different narcissistic traits shape<br>stress perceptions, with implications for interventions targeting individuals high in narcissistic<br>vulnerability and antagonism.</p>