How many criteria are used to diagnose Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

• A. Three of eight criteria
• B. Five or more of nine criteria
• C. Six of ten criteria
• D. Four of seven criteria

Answer: (B)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is diagnosed based on a pattern shown by nine specific criteria, and you must meet five or more of them. This means the threshold is five out of nine, not a different number or a different total. The criteria cover key features like grandiosity, a strong need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, along with related traits such as entitlement, exploitative interpersonal behavior, envy, and arrogant attitudes. Importantly, this pattern must be present by early adulthood and appear across multiple contexts. Since the DSM-5 specifies nine criteria and a five-or-more threshold, the correct choice is five or more of nine criteria. The other options don’t fit because they propose different totals or different numbers of criteria.