Overt and covert narcissism

Psychoanalytic theories and clinical practice refer to 2 types of narcissism which differ in the visibility of the narcissistic features: while overt narcissism is observable in open behaviour, covert narcissism is concealed behind an insecure appearance. This distinction was tested empirically by relating the two types of narcissism to self-esteem and the attachment dimensions avoidance and anxiety. Patients in a psychosomatic out-patient department (n=102) were examined with self-report measure. Overt narcissism is associated with a high, covert narcissism with a low self-esteem. Furthermore, while overt narcissism is not related to the attachment dimensions, covert narcissism is accompanied by high levels of attachment anxiety. The results support the theory that narcissism is divided into 2 subtypes which have different profiles in terms of self-esteem and attachment.