Baseline Mentalization Predicts Depression and Alexithymia Following Brief Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in Students Seeking Help at a University Clinic: A Pre–Post Study

Mentalization is a core psychological function underlying emotional regulation and vulnerability to psychopathology. This pre–post naturalistic study examined whether baseline mentalization predicts depressive symptoms and alexithymia in university students undergoing brief psychoanalytic psychotherapy. A sample of 104 students was assessed at baseline (T0) and post-treatment (T1). Longitudinal path analysis showed that baseline mentalization significantly predicted both depressive symptoms and alexithymia at follow-up, controlling for their temporal stability. Lower mentalization at intake was associated with poorer outcomes at treatment. completion The model demonstrated good fit and explained a substantial proportion of variance in both outcomes. These findings suggest that mentalization functions as a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor influencing psychotherapy outcomes and highlight the clinical importance of assessing and targeting mentalization from the early stages of treatment.