Characteristics of mentalization patterns in parents of children with difficulties in realizing developmental objectives of the latency stage - qualitative analysis results.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to answer the question about the ability to mentalize emotional states in parents of children with difficulties in realizing developmental objectives of the latency stage. The research was exploratory in nature; the aim was formulated on the basis of notions from the field literature indicating a correlation between the attachment style and the ability to mentalize in the parents and psychosocial functioning of their children.

Methods: The structured Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was used as the main tool for the research.

Examining mentalizing ability in the process of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic diagnosis.

The present paper discusses the problem of examining ability to mentalize in the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic diagnosis process. It is proved by the research results indicating significance of mentalization in the psychosocial functioning of an individual, the relation between the level of this ability and the appearance of the specific mental disorders and problems, and its role in the treatment process. The paper describes and analyses the classic tool for studying mentalization - Reflective Functioning Scale.