The inside-out group: A mentalisation-based choose-your-own adventure

Abstract

This article describes the evaluation of a novel, single-session group intervention which was offered on an acute inpatient mental health unit. The intervention was based on the principles of Mentalisation Based Therapy. We called this intervention the inside out group.In the group, attendees used their mentalising skills to discuss and decide on the course of action taken by characters in a fictional story. Hence we referred to the group as a ‘choose-your-own adventure’.Our evaluation showed that attendees were less committed to critical, self-focused explanations for others’ actions after the intervention than they had been prior to the intervention. Our findings therefore suggest that Mentalisation Based Therapy principles can be successfully adapted to produce effective, short term talking treatments on acute inpatient mental health wards.