Exploring the gender difference in relationships between narcissism, competitiveness, and mental health problems among college students

Abstract

The current research examined the gender difference in relationships in terms of overt and covert narcissism, hypercompetitiveness, personal development competitiveness, and mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among college students.

Participants: 195 college students (mean age = 21.55 years) in Hong Kong.

Method: Participants were invited to fill in standardized psychological instruments.

Results: In all, 125 (62.1%) were females. The results revealed that males had higher levels of narcissism and competitiveness than females. Narcissism was associated with competitiveness in both genders. Covert narcissism was independently and positively related with depression, anxiety, and stress in both males and females. Hypercompetitiveness was independently and positively associated with mental health problems in females, but independent associations were not found in males.

Conclusions: For the well-being of college students, those with covert narcissism and females with hypercompetitiveness should be monitored closely as they are more likely to have mental health problems.