Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Brief Reflective Functioning Interview

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Assessment

Background:

• Mentalization assessment is crucial in clinical psychology.
• Existing instruments like the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) can be time-consuming.
• The Brief Reflective Functioning Interview (BRFI) offers a shorter alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the German version of the BRFI.
• To compare the BRFI's reflective functioning (RF) scores with those from the AAI.
• To establish the BRFI as a feasible and valid mentalization assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted, involving students and patients.
• Participants (N=60 in Study 1, N=149 in Study 2) were assessed using both the BRFI and AAI.
• Trained coders applied the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS) to interview data.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between BRFI and AAI RFS total scores.
• Both instruments demonstrated excellent internal consistency.
• Individuals with mental disorders showed lower RF scores than mentally stable individuals.
• Women scored higher on RF than men in both samples.
• Self-reported mentalization ability was lower in individuals with below-average RF scores on either interview.

Conclusions:

• The BRFI is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing reflective functioning.
• BRFI assessments are highly comparable to AAI assessments.
• The BRFI is a time-efficient alternative to the AAI for measuring mentalization.
• Reflective functioning is inversely related to psychopathology.