Mentalization and Its Use in Schools

Abstract

Th is article outlines the current state of theoretical knowledge about mentalization, which appears to be essential for eff ective practice in the teaching profession. Mentalization is the capacity to understand and make sense of our own and others' actions by recognising and giving meaning to intentional mental states, including needs, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. It is the understanding of the background of the behaviour – the understanding of the mental states that have led to a certain behaviour. Thanks to mentalization theory, we are now able to think and discuss in more detail what happens between and within people as they interact in diff erent social contexts such as schools. Th ese skills are useful for teachers as they work with children, whose metalizing skills are still developing. At the same time, in their practice, teachers often encounter children who come to school with disruptive behaviours, insecure attachment styles, and negative internal working models of relationships that make the  healthy development of mentalizing skills diffi cult. Th is article highlights the importance of mentalization in educational contexts and provides a framework for interventions aimed at increasing mentalization skills among teachers, parents, and students. Empirical evidence has shown that the implementation of mentalization-based programmes in schools can lead to signifi cant improvements in teacher
resilience, as well as a reduction of aggressive behaviour among students and an improvement of their academic performance.