Low Self-Mentalizing and Hypermentalizing Others as Core Features of Personality Pathology: A Person-Centered...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Mentalizing is a complex psychological construct.
• It plays a crucial role in understanding personality pathology.
• A person-centered approach is needed to study self- and other-mentalizing imbalances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct profiles of mentalizing.
• To examine the relationship between these profiles and personality pathology.
• To assess the association with clinical burden.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-nine adults from clinical and community samples were assessed.
• Diagnostic interviews and validated measures of mentalizing, personality functioning, and maladaptive traits were used.
• Cluster analysis was performed on self- and other-mentalizing indices.

Main Results:

• Three mentalizing profiles were identified: low self-mentalizing/hyper-other-mentalizing, preserved self-mentalizing/ineffective other-mentalizing, and broadly effective mentalizing.
• The low self-mentalizing/hyper-other-mentalizing profile showed the highest personality pathology severity and clinical burden (hospitalization, treatment referral).
• The broadly effective mentalizing profile exhibited the lowest pathology and clinical burden.

Conclusions:

• Distinct mentalizing profiles are differentially associated with personality pathology.
• Impairments in self-mentalizing and hypermentalizing of others are central to personality pathology.
• These profiles are linked to varying levels of clinical burden.