What the study found
The study found a moderate association between mentalization and mental health outcomes in adolescents with internalizing disorders. The authors describe this as the first meta-analytic study to estimate this association in these populations.
What the authors say this matters
The authors say the findings underscore the importance of assessing mentalization in adolescents with internalizing disorders. They also conclude that further research should explore the clinical implications of mentalization for internalizing disorders in adolescence.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis. They examined the association between mentalization and mental health outcomes in adolescents with internalizing disorders.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis found a moderate association between mentalization and mental health outcomes. The abstract does not report any comparison groups, interventions, or outcomes that did not show an association.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe specific limitations, study sizes, or the measures used. It also notes that further research is needed to explore the clinical implications in adolescence.
Key points
- This first meta-analytic study estimated the association between mentalization and mental health outcomes in adolescents with internalizing disorders.
- The study found a moderate association between mentalization and mental health outcomes.
- The authors say the findings underscore the importance of assessing mentalization in these populations.
- The authors conclude that further research should examine the clinical implications of mentalization in adolescence.
- The abstract does not describe specific limitations, sample sizes, or measurement details.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Mentalization shows a moderate link to adolescent internalizing outcomes
- Authors:
- Areas Malenka, Candela García Domench, A. Babl, Nick Midgley, Andrés Roussos, Juan Martin Gomez Penedo
- Institutions:
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Leiden University, University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Anna Freud Centre, University of Belgrano, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-08
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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