Effectiveness of Mentalization-Based Treatment in Reducing Suicidal Ideation Among Middle-Aged Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Salma Maleki; Narjes Sadat Mirkhan; Bahareh Ajdarbin

Authors

Salma Maleki Department of Psychology, WT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2688-0212
Narjes Sadat Mirkhan Department of Psychology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6164-5588
Bahareh Ajdarbin Department of Psychology, WT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2117-3317

Keywords:

Mentalization-Based Treatment, Suicidal Ideation, Middle-Aged Women, Psychotherapy

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) in reducing suicidal ideation among middle-aged women and to examine whether its therapeutic effects were maintained at a one-month follow-up.

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control-group design with a one-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of women aged 40–60 years attending counseling and psychotherapy centers. Thirty eligible participants were selected and allocated to an intervention group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The intervention group received ten weekly 90-minute online group sessions of mentalization-based treatment, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period and was placed on a waiting list. Suicidal ideation was measured at pretest, posttest, and one-month follow-up using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Data were analyzed using inferential statistical procedures. Because the assumption of homogeneity of regression slopes was violated for suicidal ideation, between-group comparisons of change scores were used to complement covariance-based analyses.

Findings: Inferential analyses demonstrated that the reduction in suicidal ideation from pretest to posttest was significantly greater in the mentalization-based treatment group than in the control group (t = −38.488, p < 0.001). Similarly, the change in suicidal ideation from pretest to the one-month follow-up differed significantly between the two groups (t = −35.849, p < 0.001), indicating that the therapeutic improvement achieved following the intervention was maintained during the follow-up period.

Conclusion: Mentalization-based treatment was effective in significantly reducing suicidal ideation among middle-aged women, and its beneficial effect persisted for at least one month after treatment. By strengthening individuals’ capacity to understand and interpret their own and others’ mental and emotional states, MBT may provide a useful psychotherapeutic approach for addressing suicidal thoughts in this population. Nevertheless, replication with larger samples and longer follow-up periods is recommended to establish the durability and generalizability of these findings.

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