Pioneering research has been carried out over the last decade on mentalization and the promotion of mentalizing capacity - the ability to interpret the behavior of oneself and others as based on intentional mental states, such as needs, desires, feelings, and beliefs. This book is a consolidation of current knowledge and clinical applications, bringing together a group of international experts who have been on the ground floor of theory and research to clarify the concept, review pertinent neurobiological and psychosocial research, and explore its diverse clinical applications.

Four sections will cover Conceptual Foundations, Developmental Psychopathology, Intervention and Prevention. A biopsychosocial approach will be used, integrating new research in neuroimaging with psychodynamic and cognitive perspectives. Clinical issues covered will include parent–child interactions, personality disorders, traumatic brain injury, bullying and at-risk children.

Jon G. Allen is Chair in Mental Health Research and Professor of Psychiatry at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine, USA. He has written several books including Traumatic Relationships and Serious Mental Disorders for Wiley. For the past decade, he has worked closely with Peter Fonagy in the Menninger Child and Family Program, dedicated to research in attachment and developmental psychopathology.

Peter Fonagy is Director of the Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London; and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine. His ideas were central to developing mentalization as a concept, he has also catalyzed research and pioneered the application of mentalization to clinical practice.