Mentalization-Based Interventions for Children Aged 6-12 and Their Carers: A Narrative Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

The ability to mentalize is an important developmental capacity that facilitates effective social and emotional functioning. Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), which aims to improve mentalizing capacity, is widely used in adults and in parent-infant therapy, but adaptations of MBT for middle childhood are less well documented. A systematic search of key databases was carried out using a PICO model. Papers were included if they explicitly described a mentalization-based approach to work with children aged between 6 and 12 and/or their caregivers. Where outcomes were reported, quality was assessed. A narrative synthesis of the literature was conducted. Sixty-two publications were included, reporting on 29 unique mentalization-informed interventions for middle childhood. Although the majority were formulated as direct therapeutic work with children and their families, several MBT interventions work with whole systems, such as schools or children’s social care. Only 22 papers reported outcomes and many were of poor quality, lacking in assessment of child mentalizing or child-reported outcomes. A broad range of mentalization-based interventions are available for middle childhood, demonstrating wide-reaching applicability. Better quality research is needed to examine the evidence base for these treatments.

Acknowledgments

All authors were involved in the development of a search strategy, identification of research item, screening of items, synthesis and quality evaluation of literature and writing of this paper. [Name 1] led on the conceptual design and writing of this paper, [name 2] led on literature searching, and [name 3] led on the synthesis and quality evaluation of outcome studies.

Disclosure statement

The first author of this paper was an author on some of the studies reviewed in this paper. However, he has no financial interests in relation to these interventions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nick Midgley

Nick Midgley is Professor of Psychological Therapies with Children and Young People at UCL and co-director of the Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe) at the Anna Freud Centre, London. Among other works, he co-edited Minding the Child: Mentalization-Based Interventions with Children, Young People and Families (Routledge, 2012), and was one of the authors of Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children: A Time-Limited Approach (APA, 2017).

Eva A. Sprecher

Eva A. Sprecher is a PhD candidate at UCL studying relationships between foster carer and the young people in their care. She is also a Research Officer at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families on the Reflective Fostering Programme randomised controlled trial.

Michelle Sleed

Michelle Sleed is a Senior Research Fellow in ChAPTRe at the Anna Freud Centre/ UCL. She carries out research into the effectiveness of psychological therapies for families and has a particular interest in mentalization.