Mentalization based treatment

The course is a core course at undergraduate level and is given as comissioned training.

Entry qualifications and experience from nursing work, preferably in psychiatry or a related field. In addition to this, basic psychotherapy training is required.

The course provides an introduction to mentalization and includes both theoretical and practical perspectives. Through the course, participants gain a basic understanding of mentalization from a developmental psychological, biological and social perspective. Participants also gain insight into mentalization-based techniques and learn to apply these in practice. The course addresses how mentalization relates to various clinical conditions, including emotionally unstable personality syndrome, and addresses specific therapeutic techniques and approaches that promote mentalization. Furthermore, methods for assessing mentalizing ability are introduced. Applications of mentalization in various therapeutic and clinical contexts are discussed.

By the end of the course students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Explain the theoretical, developmental psychological, and biological foundations of mentalization.
• Explain central concepts, theory and main principles within mentalization-based therapy.
• Explain how MBT is applied in the treatment of emotionally unstable personality disorder and other psychiatric disorders.
• Account for research support and scientific evidence for MBT.
• Give an account of possible uses of mentalization-based therapy.

Skills and abilities

• Probe and analyze theoretical concepts in a practical application of MBT through role play.
• Identify clinical situations where techniques from MBT can be applied, and make assessments of possible areas of use for the therapy in relation to other treatment methods.
• Apply mentalization-based techniques in practical clinical work.

Judgment and approach

• Critically reflect on and value their own role in the therapeutic work and the decisions made during the treatment.
• Identify and analyze difficulties in mentalization for the patient that may arise in clinical work through role-play.

Teaching consists of lectures, exercises, seminars, role plays and group work.

Teaching and examination language: Swedish

Exceptions for examination language can be made after consultation with the course leader.

All teaching is compulsory. The course is examined partly through a written home exam which is based on the application of theoretical and practical knowledge from the course in relation to own patient material and partly through the student practically demonstrating knowledge and understanding of MBT in role-played patient cases.

All teaching and course literature can form the basis for examination. Absences are made up according to the course leader's instructions.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

The course has a Pass and Fail grade-system.

In order to obtain the grade Pass in the course, the following is required:

• actively participate in all mandatory classes
• actively participate in seminars and exercises
• obtain a passing grade on the written home exam
• obtain a passing grade on participation in final role play

The course leader is responsible for providing students with the opportunity to make an anonymous written course evaluation at the end of the course. After completing the course, the course leader writes a course report, in which, among other things, a compilation of the course evaluation is included.

The course report is processed in the preparation group for independent courses at undergraduate level and is conveyed both to the students who completed the course evaluation and to the students who will start the course. The course report is kept available to students.

The course is adapted for people who have basic healthcare training, such as mental health nurses, nurses, psychologists, sociologists or doctors, and who work in psychiatry or related fields.

If the course requires access to a computer, internet or any other digital resources, the student is responsible for having access to it.