Mentalization and mindfulness: A scoping review.

: Teräsahjo, Timo; Lahtinen, Oskari; Salmivalli, Christina

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

: 2025

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration

: 1053-0479

: 1573-3696

Mindfulness and mentalization are often regarded as overlapping yet distinct constructs with different theoretical foundations. Their integration in research and practice has become a topic of increasing interest. This scoping review explores how mindfulness and mentalization are conceptualized together in the research literature, with attention to theoretical perspectives on their relationship, empirical findings on their connection, and their use in various interventions. A systematic search was conducted in the Scopus, EBSCOhost research database, and Web of Science databases using the keywords mentalization, mentalization, mentaliz/mentalis (truncated search), reflective functioning, and mindfulness. Studies addressing theoretical, empirical, and applied aspects of both constructs were included in the review. The findings reveal diverse theoretical interpretations of the relationship between mindfulness and mentalization, with empirical associations that are generally meaningful but vary in strength and direction depending on the specific measures and populations studied, and several intervention strategies that attempt to integrate the two constructs in different ways. This review identifies key areas of convergence and divergence between mindfulness and mentalization and offers recommendations for future research and intervention development to clarify their relationship and strengthen their practical applications.