ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews both clinical and research strategies to assess mentalising, that is, the capacity to understand the self and others in terms of intentional mental states (e.g. feelings, wishes, desires, and values), a capacity that is fundamentally rooted in attachment relationships (Allen et al. 2008; Luyten et al. 2012b). First, we briefly summarise the mentalising approach with an emphasis on the intricate relationships between the development of the capacity for mentalising and attachment. Next, we outline principles, strategies and measures that can be used in both clinical practice and research contexts for assessing mentalising.
