Mentalization-based therapy with maltreated children living in shelters in southern Brazil: A single case study

Abstract

This study describes the mentalization-based child therapy of a boy who suffered from early abuse and neglect, who was living in a shelter in southern Brazil. This single case study aimed at assessing whether this kind of psychotherapy contributes to reducing depressive symptoms and developing a greater capacity for reflection on the mental states of self and other, as part of developing a more coherent sense of self. Structured assessments were conducted before therapy and after six months of treatment, and the audio-recorded treatment sessions were analyzed using content analysis, in order to identify key themes in the treatment itself. The results suggested a significant improvement in depressive symptoms and some changes in mentalization with the beginnings of a movement toward a more cohesive and integrated self. We argue that mentalization-based child therapy could be a promising therapeutic approach for children who have experienced severe disruptions of emotional bonds, due to the way it focuses on the capacity to regulate affect and develop a more coherent sense of self.

Keywords:

• children's psychotherapy
• mentalization
• depression in children
• shelter
• qualitative research
• case studies

Notes

1. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. Coordinator of the Psychology Graduate Program at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, UNISINOS, Brazil.

2. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. Master in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate Programme at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, UNISINOS, Brazil.

3. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Anna Freud Centre, London, UK. Program Director of the M.Sc in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice, UCL / Anna Freud Centre.