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The following is a summary of “Minding mentalizing – convergent validity of the Mentalization Breakdown Interview,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Ulvestad et al.

Mentalizing problems are key in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and a focus in mentalization-based therapy. Research on whether mentalizing predicts or affects change is limited. The Mentalization Breakdown Interview (MBI) was created to more efficiently study therapy outcomes in BPD.

Researchers conducted a prospective study to investigate whether MBI’s measure of reflective functioning (MBI-RF) matches up with the established method of RF assessment based on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI-RF) and to compare how well both predict BPD symptoms and functional impairment. 

They assessed 45 patients with BPD or significant BPD traits. Ratings for MBI-RF and AAI-RF were done using the Reflective Functioning Scale. The levels of MBI-RF and AAI-RF were calculated, and correlation was measured. The association of these measures to various scales assessing emotion regulation, personality functioning, work and social adjustment, depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide attempts, and personality disorder diagnoses. 

The results showed a strong correlation between MBI-RF and AAI-RF at 0.79 (P<0.01), showing high convergent validity. However, only some significant connections existed between MBI-RF, AAI-RF, and the clinical measures studied.

Investigators concluded that the MBI was a valid way to assess reflective functioning in BPD. It’s quick and reliable, making it useful for treatment research. However, it measures something different from clinical symptoms seen in patients.

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1380532/full