Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 disorder 
, which is characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Those 
with the disorder expect special treatment from others while at the same time disre-
garding others’ feelings. In some ways, in fact, the main attribute of the narcissistic 
personality is an inability to experience empathy for other people. 
There are several other categories of personality disorder that range in severity 
from individuals who may simply be regarded by others as eccentric, obnoxious, or 
diffi cult to people who act in a manner that is criminal and dangerous to others. 
Although they are not out of touch with reality like people with schizophrenia, peo-
ple with personality disorders lead lives that put them on the fringes of society 
(Millon, Davis, & Millon, 2000; Trull & Widiger, 2003).
Childhood Disorders
We typically view childhood as a time of innocence and relative freedom from stress. 
In reality, though, almost 20% of children and 40% of adolescents experience sig-
nifi cant emotional or behavioral disorders (Romano et al., 2001; Broidy, Nagin, & 
Tremblay, 2003; Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007). 
For example, although major depression is more prevalent in adults, around 2.5% 
of children and more than 8% of adolescents suffer from the disorder. In fact, by the 
time they reach age 20, between 15–20% of children and adolescents will experience 
an episode of major depression (Garber & Horowitz, 2002). 
Children do not always display depression the same way adults do. Rather than 
showing profound sadness or hopelessness, childhood depression may produce the 
expression of exaggerated fears, clinginess, or avoidance of everyday activities. In 
older children, the symptoms may be sulking, school problems, and even acts of 
delinquency (Wenar, 1994; Seroczynski, Jacquez, & Cole, 2003; Koplewicz, 2002). 
A considerably more common childhood disorder is  attention-defi cit hyperactivity