Mentalization – the ability to understand mental states of self and others: assessment and psychotherapy

Abstract

Mentalization is the ability to understand our own mental states and the mental states of other people. This article presents an overview of some basic features of mentalization, with the focus on different dimensions of mentalization, its development in early attachment relationships and a comparison between mentalization and related psychological concepts. Lack of mentalization is associated with various disorders, especially with borderline personality disorder. In this article the authors review different instruments for measuring mentalization and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each instrument. The article presents the basic principles of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), which focuses on the improvement of reflective functioning. The authors assume that mentalization is a common factor within different psychotherapy schools. From this perspective, they consider that it is important for psychotherapists to know how to assess the capacity for mentalization and encourage its development where it is deficient. The article also proposes future research of mentalization in different psychotherapy schools and research focused on components of psychotherapy that have a significant impact on the development of mentalization.