Which epidemiologic pattern best describes Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

• A. Prevalence >5% with no gender bias
• B. Prevalence <1% with majority female
• C. Prevalence <1% with majority male
• D. Prevalence around 3% with equal gender distribution

Answer: (C)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder tends to have a low prevalence in the general population and a male predominance. In most community-based data, prevalence is under 1%, and men are more likely to meet criteria than women, giving a majority male distribution. This pattern fits the disorder’s epidemiology better than scenarios with higher rates (around 3% or more), no gender bias, or a female-majority distribution. So the best description is a prevalence under 1% with a majority of cases occurring in men.