Abstract:
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a pathological occurrence among various
cultures. The Diagnostic Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-5) defines it as a pattern of grandiosity, need
for admiration, and lack of empathy. Studies on the disorder are mostly Western, frequently
based on the DSM-5, but in order to understand individuals diagnosed with NPD in the
Philippines, this study focused on the experiences of mental health workers in the Philippines as
they interact and help those diagnosed with NPD in the country. The objective of the study is to
get an in-depth narrative on the perceptions and experiences of Filipino mental health workers
with Filipino clients diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the Philippines.
This study emphasizes the role of the academic institutions, peers, and profession, the
DSM-5, and the actual practice of mental health workers with individuals diagnosed with NPD
as the primary factors that shape and influence the perceptions and experiences of mental health
workers with their Filipino clients diagnosed with NPD in the country. These include the
prevalence or frequency of the disorder, the symptoms unique to Filipinos, and the interventions
done in order to manage it.
The researcher used a qualitative strategy, the phenomenological approach as the
researcher wants to identify the experiences about the phenomenon of Narcissistic Personality
Disorder in the Philippines through lived experiences of the mental health workers interacting
with them. 10 mental health workers were purposively selected from hospitals, private clinics,
and academic institutions, as quite few mental health workers actually had experience with NPD.
The results yielded from the data collection and analysis showed that NPD clients were
quite low in terms of frequency, about 5% only occurred throughout a mental health worker’s
span of years in practice. Comorbid disorders that often occur with NPD include Depression,
Anti-Social personality disorder and substance abuse. Relapses occur all the time, as personality
disorders are really embedded in an individual’s life, and have no cure, merely alleviation of
symptoms. The commonly observed symptoms among Filipino clients with NPD include their
dependence on their families, family overprotectiveness, child-rearing techniques, emotional
inexpressiveness, religious beliefs, and norms in a patriarchal society, and these, together with
the universally accepted criteria based on the DSM-5 and knowledge from academic institutions,
peers, and profession, all shape the way a Filipino NPD patient can be defined. The types of
interventions most often used include Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral therapy,
Interpersonal therapy, Mindfulness therapy, and Group therapy, all of which the family and
significant people play a great role in order to successfully intervene with the disorder.
