Efrain Bleiberg

The development of a mentalization-based outcomes and research protocol for an adolescent inpatient unit.

The authors describe the development of a theory-driven assessment and research protocol at the Adolescent Treatment Program of The Menninger Clinic. First, the theoretical framework behind a mentalization-based model for assessment and treatment is described. Next, the process whereby measures were selected to operationalize key components of the mentalization-based model is discussed, including a brief discussion of each measure and assessment procedure. The next section describes the clinical and research use of the data collected. Here, the authors describe how outcomes assessment information is integrated into the clinical decision-making process, and they outline the research questions they aim to answer through the assessment protocol. The authors conclude with a section on the challenges, pitfalls, and future directions of the project.

Mentalizing-Based Treatment with Adolescents and Families

In this article, the process of mentalizing, its components, and role in self-regulation and attachment are reviewed. An examination is presented of the neurodevelopmental changes affecting the adolescents capacity to mentalize and the role of such compromised mentalizing in the adolescents vulnerability to adaptive breakdown and psychopathology, in general, and to emerging personality disorders, in particular. The principles, objectives, and core features of mentalizing-based treatment and its application to adolescents and families are discussed.