The role of narcissism and parental reflexive function in the development of the child’s personality and psychoemotional state

Abstract

The article investigates the correlations between the narcissistic dimensions of parents and the neurotic symptoms of children, in a sample of 20 parent-child pairs. The average age of children is 9 years. The research reveals that the narcissistic aspects of mothers can influence the psychic organization of the child, having implications for the development of personality traits and psychopathological symptoms. An essential feature highlighted by the research concerns the mother’s ability to mentalize. The significant links between certain maternal narcissistic dimensions and children’s neurotic symptoms highlight the potential impact that parental narcissism and mentalizing ability have on healthy child development. The results obtained underline the importance of the reflexive parental function in metabolizing the neurotic symptoms of children.