Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation
Mentalizing capacities depends on the quality of primary attachment interactions with caregivers who thinks of the child as a subject with mental states. Operationalized as reflective functioning, mentalization is crucial for regulating emotions and developing of a coherent sense of identity, for in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Research in Psychotherapy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/531 |
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| author | Annalisa Tanzilli Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe Guido Giovanardi Tommaso Boldrini Giorgio Caviglia Ciro Conversano Vittorio Lingiardi |
| author_facet | Annalisa Tanzilli Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe Guido Giovanardi Tommaso Boldrini Giorgio Caviglia Ciro Conversano Vittorio Lingiardi |
| author_sort | Annalisa Tanzilli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mentalizing capacities depends on the quality of primary attachment interactions with caregivers who thinks of the child as a subject with mental states. Operationalized as reflective functioning, mentalization is crucial for regulating emotions and developing of a coherent sense of identity, for interacting with individuals making sense to own and others mental states, and for distinguishing internal and external realities without distortions. Although the clinical literature on interplay between mentalization, attachment, and emotional regulation is rich, the empirical research is limited. This study sought to explore connections between reflective functioning, attachment styles, and implicit emotion regulation, operationalized as defense mechanisms, in a group of depressive patients. Twenty-eight patients were interviewed using the adult attachment interview (AAI) and diagnosed using the Psychodynamic Chart-2 of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition. The reflective functioning scale and the defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort were applied to AAI transcriptions to assess reflective functioning and defensive profile. Patients with secure attachment showed significantly higher levels in reflective functioning and overall defensive functioning as compared to those with insecure attachment. Good reflective functioning and secure attachment correlated with mature defenses and specific defensive mechanisms that serve in better regulating affective states. Overall, the relationship between mentalization, attachment and emotion regulation lay the foundations for the delineation of defensive profiles associated with attachment patterns and reflective functioning in depressive patients. The systematic assessment of these psychological dimensions with gold-standard tools may help in tailoring personalized therapeutic interventions and promoting more effective treatments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:14:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c40f4f4ad69141e1817ae2b7e63ef66e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2499-7552 2239-8031 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:14:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research in Psychotherapy |
| spelling | doaj.art-c40f4f4ad69141e1817ae2b7e63ef66e2022-12-21T17:43:58ZengPAGEPress PublicationsResearch in Psychotherapy2499-75522239-80312021-03-0124110.4081/ripppo.2021.531Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigationAnnalisa Tanzilli0Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe1Guido Giovanardi2Tommaso Boldrini3Giorgio Caviglia4Ciro Conversano5Vittorio Lingiardi6Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, La Sapienza University of Rome, RomeDepartment of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, Critical and Care Medicine, University of Pisa, PisaDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, La Sapienza University of Rome, RomeDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, PaduaDepartment of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, CasertaDepartment of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, Critical and Care Medicine, University of Pisa, PisaDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, La Sapienza University of Rome, RomeMentalizing capacities depends on the quality of primary attachment interactions with caregivers who thinks of the child as a subject with mental states. Operationalized as reflective functioning, mentalization is crucial for regulating emotions and developing of a coherent sense of identity, for interacting with individuals making sense to own and others mental states, and for distinguishing internal and external realities without distortions. Although the clinical literature on interplay between mentalization, attachment, and emotional regulation is rich, the empirical research is limited. This study sought to explore connections between reflective functioning, attachment styles, and implicit emotion regulation, operationalized as defense mechanisms, in a group of depressive patients. Twenty-eight patients were interviewed using the adult attachment interview (AAI) and diagnosed using the Psychodynamic Chart-2 of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition. The reflective functioning scale and the defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort were applied to AAI transcriptions to assess reflective functioning and defensive profile. Patients with secure attachment showed significantly higher levels in reflective functioning and overall defensive functioning as compared to those with insecure attachment. Good reflective functioning and secure attachment correlated with mature defenses and specific defensive mechanisms that serve in better regulating affective states. Overall, the relationship between mentalization, attachment and emotion regulation lay the foundations for the delineation of defensive profiles associated with attachment patterns and reflective functioning in depressive patients. The systematic assessment of these psychological dimensions with gold-standard tools may help in tailoring personalized therapeutic interventions and promoting more effective treatments.https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/531Mentalizationattachmentdefense mechanismsPsychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort. |
| spellingShingle | Annalisa Tanzilli Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe Guido Giovanardi Tommaso Boldrini Giorgio Caviglia Ciro Conversano Vittorio Lingiardi Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation Research in Psychotherapy Mentalization attachment defense mechanisms Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2 defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort. |
| title | Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation |
| title_full | Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation |
| title_fullStr | Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation |
| title_short | Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation |
| title_sort | mentalization attachment and defense mechanisms a psychodynamic diagnostic manual 2 oriented empirical investigation |
| topic | Mentalization attachment defense mechanisms Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2 defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort. |
| url | https://www.researchinpsychotherapy.org/index.php/rpsy/article/view/531 |
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