Conflicted Help-Seeking: Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissistic Traits in College Students

This study highlights distinct patterns in help-seeking behavior among college students with narcissistic traits, focusing on grandiose and vulnerable manifestations of these traits. Two undergraduate samples (N₁ = 398, N₂ = 424) completed measures of narcissistic traits, stigma, psychological distress, and help-seeking intentions. Higher levels of vulnerable narcissistic traits were positively linked to help-seeking willingness, with indirect effects through heightened distress (positive) and stigma (negative). In contrast, grandiose narcissistic traits showed no consistent direct or indirect effects on help-seeking behavior. These findings reveal that students with elevated vulnerable narcissistic traits may experience conflicting motivations for seeking help – driven by distress but hindered by stigma – whereas those with elevated grandiose narcissistic traits generally exhibit indifference to professional help. College mental health services should tailor outreach efforts by addressing stigma to better engage students with vulnerable narcissistic traits and consider alternative strategies to connect with those exhibiting grandiose narcissistic traits. Understanding how these trait dimensions affect help-seeking can inform more targeted interventions to improve mental health service utilization on campus.