The Impact of College students' Covert Narcissism on Interpersonal Problems: The Mediating Effect of Internalized Shame Moderated by Mentalization.

This study investigated the moderating role of mentalization in the relationship between college students' covert narcissism and interpersonal problems, focusing on the mediating effect of internalized shame. A total of 378 college students completed measures assessing covert narcissism, internalized shame, interpersonal problems, and mentalization. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and the PROCESS macro. The analysis examined: the mediating effect of internalized shame between covert narcissism and interpersonal problems, the moderating effect of mentalization on the relationship between internalized shame and interpersonal problems, and the moderated mediation effect involving all variables. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between covert narcissism and internalized shame, and internalized shame mediated the relationship between covert narcissism and interpersonal problems. Mentalization significantly moderated the effect of internalized shame on interpersonal problems, and a significant moderated mediation effect was observed. The findings highlight the interplay between narcissistic traits, emotional processes, and interpersonal functioning, and the study’s implications and limitations are discussed.