Shaw, Chloe, Lo, Chris, Lanceley, Anne, Hales, Sarah, and Rodin, Gary (2020) The Assessment of Mentalization: Measures for the Patient, the Therapist and the Interaction. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 50. pp. 57-65.

Preview

PDF (Author Accepted Manuscript) - Accepted Version Download (324kB) | Preview

 

6

699

Abstract

Mentalization has been clearly defined in the literature as a relational concept and yet in surveys and transcript-based measures it is almost universally treated as an individual capacity. That approach has value but may not capture the emergent nature of mentalization, as it is jointly constructed within a relational context. We report here on a critical evaluation of measurement approaches commonly used to conceptualize and assess mentalization and argue for the value of conversation analysis (CA) as an alternative approach. A variety of approaches have been shown to have utility in assessing mentalization as an individual capacity. We illustrate how conversation analysis allows for an in-depth-analysis of mentalization as it is co-created across different contexts in real-life therapy sessions. This method of analysis shifts the focus from content to process. Conversation analysis is a potentially valuable tool to support training, to assess treatment integrity, and to improve outcomes with mentalization-based interventions.

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page