Introduction to the mentalization-based treatment for borderline personality disorder
Abstract
Mentalization based treatment (MBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has been developed mainly by Anthony Bateman and Peter Fonagy. Mentalization is the process by which we understand others and ourselves in terms of subjective states (wishes, thoughts, feelings) and the close link between these and our behaviors. Such ability is not innate: it must develop in a secure attachment context. According to this model, the BPD symptoms result from the re-emergence of pre-mentalizing modes of psychic functioning, after a partial and specific suppression of mentalizing in a context of hyperactivation of the attachment system. In Hallwick Unit (Hospital St. Ann, London), conducted by Bateman, treatment is structured in three phases, keeping focus on enhancing mentalization. It has been proved effective in reducing borderline symptoms in randomized controlled trials, which support its usage.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDF (Español (España))DOI: https://doi.org/10.5944/ap.10.1.7030
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2015 Facultad de Psicología. Servicio de Psicología Aplicada.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
Accion Psicologica
Applied Psychology Service (SPA), Faculty of Psychology (UNED).
C/ Juan del Rosal nº 10 28040 Madrid.
email: accionpsicologica@psi.uned.es
eISSN: 2255-1271