The Effectiveness and Change Mechanisms of Mentalization Based Therapy for Children (MBT-C)

Summary

The main aim of the project is to investigate the effectiveness and change mechanisms of Mentalization Based Therapy for Children (MBT-C; Midgley et al., 2017). MBT-C is a transdiagnostic treatment for children aged between 5 to 12 years old with the main aim of increasing mentalization and restoring epistemic trust. Parallel parental work takes place to increase parental mentalization. This project will test the effectiveness of MBT-C in a parallel group single blind pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (pRCT) conducted in Turkey in comparison to a parenting and social skills group. The sample will include 240 children between 5-12 years old with internalizing and externalizing and comorbid internalizing/externalizing problems and their parents. During the study, the patients will be randomized to two arms, and the treatment's effectiveness will be investigated both at short (8th and 12th weeks) and long terms (24th and 36th week) to also assess relapse prevention. Thelarge sample size and the longitudinal evaluation of primary (decrease in problems), and secondary outcomes will enable the investigation of mediators and moderators.

This project will also undertake a rigorous psychotherapy process study within the RCT, examining for the first time, for which children and under what circumstances MBT-C may be most effective, meaningfully linking process with outcome. For this purpose, patients' baseline characteristics, especially attachment security and mentalization deficits that may interact with treatment outcome (moderators) and different dimensions of mentalization that develop over the course of the treatment (change mechanisms/mediators) will be assessed.

Conditions

• Mental Disorder, Child

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C)

MBT-C will involve 12 paralel individual sessions with the parents and children separately conducted by two different therapists.

BEHAVIORAL

Parenting and Social Skills Group

Parenting/social skills groups will be co-led by two therapists and involve 12 group therapy sessions with the parents and their children separately (10 parents and children per group).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

  collaborator OTHER

• Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

  collaborator OTHER

• Istanbul Bilgi University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• SİBEL HALFON, PhD · Istanbul Bilgi University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

5 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-03-15

Primary Completion

2024-01-01

Completion

2025-02-01

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations