Exploring Narcissism in Suicidal Ideation Using the Italian Version of the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale

Objective: Several theoretical and clinical observations lead to the hypothesis that pathological narcissism could be associated with suicide ideation due to the difficulty in regulating shame in a functional way. The present study investigated the roles of guilt, shame and rivalry in the relationship between pathological narcissism and suicidal ideation. Methods: A set of self-report questionnaires was completed by a sample of 936 Italian adults. These included the Italian version of the Guilt and Shame Proneness (GASP) scale, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, and the Narcissism Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire. Results: A structural equation model that tested the factorial structure of the GASP and its invariance produced satisfactory results. Moreover, shame was a significant factor in the relationship between narcissism grandiosity and suicidal ideation. However, beta regression coefficients were low. Conclusion: These findings suggest that despite clinicians should consider the presence of suicidal ideation in patients with pathological narcissism and their maladaptive regulation of shame, the relationship between these variables is complex and deserve further investigation.