The association of attachment, mentalization and reflective functioning with mental health in gender diverse children and adolescents: A systematic review

Caldarera, Angela Maria; Vitiello, Benedetto; Turcich, Camilla; Bechis, Daniela; Baietto, Chiara

doi:10.1177/13591045221075527

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 38 publications

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“…Strategies aimed at improving reflective functioning and attachment have the capacity to reduce parental stress ( Nijssens et al, 2018 ), which may subsequently improve the health of the caregiver-child dyad. Mentalization and reflective functioning appears to be particularly important in gender diverse children and adolescents ( Caldarera et al, 2022 ), which is significant considering roughly 15 % of the participants in this study identified with a non-binary gender. The BBR specifically addresses caregiver-child relations through attachment-based work that is highly encouraged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Child sexual abuse survivors: Differential complex multimodal treatment outcomes for pre-COVID and COVID era cohorts

Reeson

Polzin²,

Pazderka

et al. 2022

Child Abuse & Neglect

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Child sexual abuse survivors: Differential complex multimodal treatment outcomes for pre-COVID and COVID era cohorts

Reeson

Polzin²,

Pazderka

et al. 2022

Child Abuse & Neglect

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Prevalence, severity and risk factors for mental disorders among sexual and gender minority young people: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

O’Shea,

Jenkins,

Nicholls

et al. 2024

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

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Evidence suggests heightened prevalence and severity of mental disorders among sexual minority (SM) and gender minority (GM) young people. Several risk factors have been associated with these disparities. A systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis was conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature and to determine the field’s current position. MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science were searched in March 2022 and updated January 2024. Eligibility criteria were systematic reviews or meta-analyses assessing contemporaneous prevalence, severity and/or risk factors of mental disorders among SM or GM young people aged 25 and under. 42 reviews were included, all of which were low quality. The prevalence of depression among SM was 26% (95% CI 21–32%), and among GM was 46% (95% CI 36–56%). Greater depression severity was found among SM compared to heterosexual young people, with a significant albeit small effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.50); effect sizes were similar when separating by gender. GM also reported greater symptom severity compared to cisgender young people. Other mental disorders were more prevalent compared to those reported in the general population, and of greater severity compared to heterosexual/cisgender young people. Several proximal and distal risk factors were focused upon within the systematic reviews identified. Past systematic reviews consistently indicate a heightened risk of mental disorders among SM and GM young people. Services need to be aware of these disparities and adapt their care accordingly.

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Thinking about the next generation: The case for a mentalization‐informed approach to perinatal and intergenerational mental health

et al. 2023

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BackgroundThere has been substantial progress made across multiple disciplines to emphasize the importance of perinatal mental health both for parents and offspring. This focuses on what has been termed the ‘First 1000 Days’ from conception to the child's second birthday. We argue that our understanding of this issue can go further to create an intergenerational approach to mental health. Despite the existence of theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to implementation, there are gaps in the understanding of perinatal and intergenerational mental health including which psychological mechanisms are implicated in the transmission of risk and resilience within the perinatal period; and how to leverage these into treatment approaches.Aims and MethodsIn this paper, we explore the potential for mentalization as a candidate psychological approach to intergenerational mental health.ResultsWe contextualize this issue in terms of the points of contact between mentalization and broader theoretical models such as the social determinants of health and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHaD) model. Further, we provide an overview of the existing evidence base for the relevance of mentalization to perinatal mental health.DiscussionFinally, we sketch out an outline model for integrating mentalization into perinatal and intergenerational mental health, highlighting several areas of opportunity to develop research and practice from diverse geographies and demographics. Here, we suggest that integration of mentalization with other conceptual frameworks such as DoHaD can mutually enrich the understanding of each model, pointing the way towards more effective early and preventative interventions.

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The association of attachment, mentalization and reflective functioning with mental health in gender diverse children and adolescents: A systematic review

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Child sexual abuse survivors: Differential complex multimodal treatment outcomes for pre-COVID and COVID era cohorts

Child sexual abuse survivors: Differential complex multimodal treatment outcomes for pre-COVID and COVID era cohorts

Prevalence, severity and risk factors for mental disorders among sexual and gender minority young people: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Thinking about the next generation: The case for a mentalization‐informed approach to perinatal and intergenerational mental health

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