The mediating role of self-object needs and the moderating role of defense mechanisms in the relationship between parentification and vulnerable narcissism

In this study, the mediating effect of orientation towards selfobject needs and the moderating effect of defense mechanisms in the relationship between parentification and vulnerable narcissism were examined. The sample of this study consists of 308 voluntary participants aged between 18 and 65 (228 women, 80 men). This study used the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Parentified Child Scale- Adult Version, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Self-Object Needs Inventory, and the Defense Style Questionnaire. Pearson Correlation, T-test, ANOVA and Process Macro Model 5 analyses were used to analyze the data. According to the research results, the level of vulnerable narcissism was found to differ by gender; women were found to have higher levels of vulnerable narcissism than men. A negative significant correlation was found between vulnerable narcissism and age; it was found that the level of vulnerable narcissism decreased as age increased. The level of parentification was found to differ by gender; women were found to have higher levels of general and sibling-focused parentification than men. According to Process Model 5 analysis, approach orientation toward mirroring, idealization/twinship, and avoidance orientation from idealization/twinship had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between both general parentification and sibling-focused parentification and vulnerable narcissism. However, avoidance orientation from mirroring did not have a significant mediating effect. Additionally, it was found that defense mechanisms (mature, neurotic, immature) did not have a significant moderating effect in all models. In the last section, the findings are discussed within the scope of the literature.