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Mentalisierung und externalisierende Verhaltensstörungen in der Adoleszenz

Mentalization and externalizing behavioral disturbances during adolescence

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Zusammenfassung

Soziale Kognitionen sind die Grundlage für ein erfolgreiches soziales Miteinander. Externalisierende Verhaltensstörungen zeichnen sich durch ein Scheitern des zwischenmenschlichen Umgangs aus; deshalb erweist sich die Betrachtung der Rolle der sozialen Kognition als fruchtbar zum Verständnis externalisierender Symptome sowie ihrer Ätiologie und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird zunächst die klinische Theorie der Mentalisierung erläutert und dann mit den Forschungsergebnissen zu externalisierenden Verhaltensstörungen im Feld der „theory of mind“ und zur sozialen Informationsverarbeitung verbunden. Es zeigt sich, dass je nach Ausprägung proaktiver bzw. reaktiver Aggressivität unterschiedliche Defizite der sozialen Kognition dokumentiert werden. Allerdings ist die Lebensphase der Adoleszenz trotz der maßgeblichen Veränderung der sozialen Kognition, die auch neurobiologisch belegt ist, bislang wenig untersucht worden. Daher wird eine Analyse von zwei Studien vorgestellt, die Mentalisierungsfähigkeiten von spätadoleszenten Gewalttätern mit den reflexiven Fähigkeiten einer Kontrollgruppe vergleichen. Hierzu wurden Adult Attachment Interviews mit 42 jungen Männern geführt, die nach der Reflective Functioning Scale ausgewertet wurden. Es zeigt sich, dass Gewalttäter signifikant schlechter mentalisieren können als eine gleichaltrige Kontrollgruppe. Dies ist unabhängig von der Intelligenz der Teilnehmer. Instrumentell proaktive Aggression und psychopathische Tendenzen weisen ebenfalls einen deutlichen Zusammenhang zu niedrigen reflexiven Fähigkeiten auf. Die Ergebnisse verweisen auf die Bedeutsamkeit eines Therapieangebots für externalisierende Verhaltensstörungen in der Adoleszenz, das Mentalisierungsfähigkeiten fördert.

Abstract

Social cognition creates the conditions for successful human interaction. Externalizing disorders are characterized by a failure of adequate social cooperation. Therefore, social cognition seems to be a key factor in understanding externalizing behavior, its etiology and treatment options. The present article combines the clinical theory of mentalization with the state-of-the-art of empirical data on externalizing behavior and of the theory-of-mind research as well as research on social information processing. Empirical evidence suggests that there are distinct deficits in social cognition depending on the type of aggression (proactive or reactive). However, even though it is known from a neurobiological perspective that social cognition is reorganized in adolescence, research on externalizing behavior and social cognition in adolescence is limited. Hence the analysis of two studies is presented which compared reflective functioning between a group of late adolescent violent offenders and a control group. A total of 42 young men participated in the studies and were interviewed with the adult attachment interview. Interviews were coded with the reflective functioning scale. Results showed that violent offenders scored significantly lower on the reflective functioning scale than age and gender matched controls. This result is independent of intelligence. Instrumental proactive aggression and psychopathic tendencies are also strongly associated with lower reflective functioning. The results underline the importance of therapeutic interventions for externalizing adolescents which enhance reflective functioning.

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Notes

  1. An der Studie waren neben den Autoren des vorliegenden Beitrags Daniel Strüber, Klaus Wahl, Fritz Hasper und Ramon Rodriguez Sanchez beteiligt.

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Danksagung

Die Studie 1 wurde von der zentralen Forschungsförderung der Universität Bremen finanziert; die Studie 2 erhielt Zuschüsse über das Bundesministerium des Inneren. Wir bedanken uns bei Fritz Hasper und Ramon Rodriguez-Sanchez für die Hilfe bei der Datenerhebung. Darüber hinaus gilt unser Dank den kooperierenden Institutionen, dem Täter-Opfer-Ausgleich Bremen e. V. und dem Verein für Akzeptierenden Jugendarbeit e. V., die uns den Zugang zu den Studienteilnehmern vermittelt haben.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Soziale Therapie, Supervision, Coaching und Organisationsberatung, Universität Kassel, Arnold-Bode-Str. 10, 34109, Kassel, Deutschland

    Svenja Taubner

  2. Institut für Psychologie, Universität Jena, Jena, Deutschland

    Daniel Wiswede

  3. Anna-Freud-Center London, London, UK

    Tobias Nolte

  4. Institut für Hirnforschung, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Deutschland

    Gerhard Roth

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  1. Svenja Taubner
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Correspondence to Svenja Taubner.

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Taubner, S., Wiswede, D., Nolte, T. et al. Mentalisierung und externalisierende Verhaltensstörungen in der Adoleszenz. Psychotherapeut 55, 312–320 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00278-010-0753-8

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