Mentalization and Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Attachment: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Adolescence involves critical changes in attachment, emotional reactivity, and self-regulation.
• Mentalization and emotion regulation are key factors in adolescent vulnerability and resilience.
• Attachment security influences mental health outcomes during this developmental stage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review how mentalization and emotion regulation are defined and measured in adolescent attachment research.
• To synthesize evidence on the interplay between mentalization, emotion regulation, and attachment in adolescents.
• To examine these associations in both clinical and non-clinical adolescent populations.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines was conducted.
• Searches covered four databases for peer-reviewed studies from 2015-2025.
• Twelve studies with diverse designs and samples (community, high-risk, clinical) were included.

Main Results:

• Attachment security correlated with adaptive emotion regulation and higher mentalization.
• Emotion regulation difficulties were associated with internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
• Mentalization mediated attachment-emotion links; epistemic trust showed promise for adaptive functioning.

Conclusions:

• Attachment security, mentalization, and emotion regulation patterns differentiate adolescent vulnerability and resilience.
• Integrated assessment frameworks are needed for future research and prevention.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for supporting adolescent mental health.