Abstract

PINHEIRO SCHAEFER, Márcia; BECKER, Débora  and  SCHNEIDER DONELLI, Tagma Marina. Interventions to improve mentalization and reflective functioning: a scoping review. Cienc. Psicol. [online]. 2023, vol.17, n.1, e2478.  Epub June 01, 2023. ISSN 1688-4094.  https://doi.org/10.22235/cp.v17i1.2478.

This scoping review explores research conducted between 2008 to 2019, that aims to understand the conceptual use of mentalization (M) and reflective functioning (RF) and explore possibilities for interventions that promote these skills. The review utilized the descriptors “reflective functioning OR mentalizing OR mentalization AND intervention”. Reviewed papers were written in English, Portuguese or Spanish, and covered several research areas. The analysis considered several categories, including aims, study design, participants, type of intervention, intervention assessments and outcomes. Thirty-four papers were considered, most of them using a quantitative approach and addressed to adults and parents/caregivers-infants. The present review highlights the need to develop specific assessments procedures to evaluate RF and M, as well as studies that consider the Brazilian context. The study also emphasizes the need for theoretical systematization of M and RF concepts, considering they are frequently used as synonyms.

Keywords : mentalization; intervention; reflective functioning.

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