The Moderating Role of Expressing Anger in the Relationship between Narcissistic Injury and Somatization among Individuals with High Levels of Vulnerable Narcissistic Traits

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, Early View

Published Online: 03 July 2026, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.05

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

The Moderating Role of Expressing Anger in the Relationship between Narcissistic Injury and Somatization among Individuals with High Levels of Vulnerable Narcissistic Traits

Kırılgan Narsisistik Özellikleri Yüksek Olan Bireylerde Narsisistik Yara ile Somatizasyon Arasındaki İlişkide Öfkeyi İfade Etmenin Düzenleyici Rolü

Özgün Özgönül¹

Abstract:

The vulnerable narcissistic self involves heightened sensitivity to others’ emotions, shame linked to grandiose fantasies, and reactivity to rejection. When self-worth dependent on external validation is threatened, narcissistic injury triggers intense anger, which, if not verbally expressed, may manifest through bodily channels and reinforce somatization. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of outward anger expression in the relationship between narcissistic injury and somatization among individuals with high levels of vulnerable narcissistic traits. The sample consisted of 473 individuals living in Istanbul (303 women, 64.10%; 170 men, 35.90%). Participants completed a sociodemographic form, the Vulnerable Narcissism Scale (VNS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Trait Anger and Anger Expression Styles Scale (TAAESS), and the Somatization Scale (SS). Data were analyzed using SPSS 25. Findings indicated that outward anger expression did not moderate the relationship between narcissistic injury and somatization symptoms, but did play a moderating role in the association between vulnerable narcissistic traits and somatization symptoms. These results suggest that vulnerable narcissism is closely associated with suppressed anger. The inability to express anger verbally may manifest as bodily symptoms reflecting narcissistic injury. The findings emphasize the significance of anger expression styles in understanding the link between vulnerable narcissism and psychosomatic processes and highlight the potential protective role of strengthening anger regulation skills in clinical practice.

Keywords: Vulnerable narcissism, Narcissistic injury, Anger expression, Somatization.

¹İstanbul Aydın University, Institute of Graduate Studies, Clinical Psychology PhD Program, İstanbul, Türkiye.

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Özgün Özgönül, General Asım Gündüz Street, Beyaz Saray Building No: 68, Floor: 4, Apartment: 8, Kadıköy/İstanbul, E-Mail: [email protected].

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 04.08.2025, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 01.11.2025, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 28.11.2026, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 03.07.2026

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Özgönül, Ö. (2026). The moderating role of expressing anger in the relationship between narcissistic injury and somatization among individuals with high levels of vulnerable narcissistic traits. Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 1-9, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.05.

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/