Child-focused maternal mentalization: A systematic review of measurement tools from birth to three

Although the relevance of the concept of maternal mentalization is widely accepted in the
field of attachment and theory of mind research and practice, to date no systematic review
of measurement tools capturing the concept exists. The present review addresses this lack
by systematically searching and summarizing available instruments and providing a
detailed content description. Instruments were identified by searching electronic databases
as well as employing additional search strategies. The number of identified instruments
was n = 15. In summary the instruments can be classified in interview and
observational tools. To date no questionnaire exists capturing the concept. Tools vary
greatly in theoretical foundation, psychometric evaluation, availability, and specific content
domains.