From Narcissism to Drug-Taking Intentions: Direct and Indirect Pathways Explored

Drug misuse is a longstanding public health issue that has prompted research on what factors influence an individual’s intent to use. Personality traits, particularly narcissism, have been identified as significant predictors of drug use. This cross-sectional pre-registered study examined the relationship between narcissism and drug-taking intention among 142 U.K. university students, specifically investigating whether impulsiveness and sensation seeking mediated this relationship. The results from regression and mediation analyses indicate that while narcissism was positively associated with both impulsiveness and sensation seeking, its association with drug-taking intention was fully explained by impulsiveness. Sensation seeking did not significantly mediate this association. These findings align with evidence demonstrating the vulnerability of those high in narcissism to drug use and misuse and provide a basis for further experimental research on targets for drug treatment and prevention efforts in such individuals.