The role of mentalisation-focused case discussion in strengthen the psychological resilience of helping professionals

Abstract

Mental health and its potential for development are increasingly important in both treatment and prevention. The international literature also highlights the role of mentalisation skills in the mental health of aid workers and in the quality of relationships with patients. In the course of their responsible work, these professionals encounter mentally and psychologically impaired and ill people on a daily basis, with whom it is particularly difficult to develop relationships because of their condition. They are often faced with incredibly difficult, painful and often dangerous situations, which require a high level of reflection and emotion regulation, and the failure to do so places an enormous psychological burden on them. Taking into account international experience, it would be important to develop the mentalisation and emotion regulation skills of helping professionals, which, in addition to developing relational skills, contribute to enhancing resilience and mental health, and thus can also play a significant role in preventing burnout. In this paper, we present the possibility of integrating this into a processing group method, the case discussion, which helps them to work effectively.