Mentalization in Asylum Seekers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly impacts asylum seekers.
• Mentalization, the capacity to understand mental states in oneself and others, is crucial for psychological well-being.
• Limited research exists on mentalization deficits in asylum seekers experiencing PTSD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between PTSD and the dimensions of mentalization (self- and other-oriented) in Italian resettled asylum seekers.
• To explore differences in mentalization and somatization between asylum seekers with and without PTSD.
• To establish the role of mentalization in the psychological distress of asylum seekers.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design contrasting 20 asylum seekers with PTSD against 20 without PTSD.
• Utilized the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) for PTSD screening.
• Assessed mentalization using the Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ) and somatization with the Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI-21).

Main Results:

• Asylum seekers with PTSD exhibited significantly higher somatization scores (p = 0.03).
• A significant reduction in self-oriented mentalization was observed in asylum seekers with PTSD (p < 0.05).
• The other-oriented component of mentalization did not show significant differences between groups.

Conclusions:

• Asylum seekers with PTSD demonstrate impaired self-oriented mentalizing capacities.
• Reduced self-oriented mentalization may contribute to the psychological suffering of asylum seekers.
• Findings suggest mentalization, particularly self-oriented aspects, warrants further investigation for targeted interventions in refugees with PTSD.