Mentalizing

Thoughtful is based on recognized neuro-cognitive research - especially about the skills of thinking: How to think about your own thoughts and feelings and the thoughts and feeliings of other people - also called mentalizing or meta-cognition.

Psychiatric research with intensive mentalization-based training of patients with borderline personality disorder (who have greatly increased suicide risk) has documented (8 year follow up) that suicide risk can be reduced by a factor 10, use of health care services by a factor 30 and medicine consumption by a factor 100. (see Batemann & Fonagy 2008 in the reference list below).

Thoughtful is the first mentalization-based program in the world which has been developed for general Mental & Physical Health.

References

• Bateman A, Fonagy P (2008). 8-Year Follow-Up of Patients Treated for Borderline Personality Disorder: Mentalization-Based Treatment Versus Treatment as Usual . Am J Psychiatry;165:631–638.

• Midgley N, Vrouva I (eds (2010): Minding the child, Routledge 2012.

• Liotti G, Gilbert P (2011). Mentalizing, motivation and social mentalities. Theoretical considérations and implications for psychotherapy. Psychology and Psychotherapy Research and Practice 2011;84:9-25.

Mind - Body Medicine

Thoughtful also rely on research about how we can use our thoughts to reinforce the physiological protective and repair mechanisms in the body - so called Mind-Body Medicine - how the brain and body translates our thoughts into its own biochemical langauage in the cells. That includes the psycho-biology of gene expression and psycho-neuro-immunology.

References

• Astin JA et al: Mind-Body Medicine: State of the science, implications for practice. J Am Board Fam Pract 2003;16:131-47.

• Benson H. Timeless healing. Fireside 1997.

• Herbert Benson & William Proctor (2011) Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health Through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing.

• Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Marucha PT, Mercado AM, Malarkey WB, Glaser R. Slowing of wound healing by psychological stress. Lancet 1995;346(8984):1194-6.

• Marucha PT, Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Favagehi M. Mucosal Wound Healing Is Impaired by Examination Stress. Psychosomatic Medicine 1998; 60:362-365.

• Moerman D: Meaning, medicine and the”placebo” effect. Cambridge University Press 2002.

• Perth, C.P. Molecules of emotion. Touchstone 1997.

• Rice B., Kalker A.J., Schindler J.V., Dixon R.M. (2001). Effect of biofeedback-assisted relaxation training on foot ulcer healing. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 91(3):132-141. Rice B. Clinical Benefits of Training Patients to Voluntarily Increase Peripheral Blood Flow: The WarmFeet Intervention. The Diabetes Educator 2007;33:442-54.

• Rossi, E.L. The psychobiology of gene expression. Norton 2002.

• Yan Q. Psychoneuroimmunology - Systems Biology Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. Springer 2016.

Thoughtful research

Note: In early research projects Thoughtful has formerly been called: The Thoughts in Mind Project and the Resilience Program. In Danish: Robustheds-programmet. In Greenlandic: Thinkinuk. 

Thoughtful has been subject to a number of research studies. This is a resume.

High risk conflicts & staff sick leave
Thoughtful has helped to reduce high risk conflicts with 90 % and reduce staff sick leave with 50 % in a socially deprived district (3 year follow up). Read.

Substance abuse treatment
Thoughtful has been a useful supplement to substance abuse treatment among psychiatric and violent addicts in prisons. For instance a murderer who had been imprisoned for 28 years completely got rid of his substance craving. Read.

Improved learning
Thougtful can improve learning among foster care children. Read.

Improved thinking
A reseach project in Milan Italiy has indicated thatThoughtful can improve positive and empathic thougth patterns among school children - to an extent never shown before. Read.

Greenland 2018-20
In 2018-20, the Greenlandic version of Thoughtful: Thinkinuk - was tested in collaboration with the Greenlandic Government and the Municipalities - as part of the national strategy in relation to suicide prevention. The book Thinkinuk in Greenland describes activities, experiences and conclusions from the test period. Link to the book below.

University Hospital North Norway
In 2022-23, a large scale randomized trial on the University Hospital North Norway has investigated Thoughtful in psychiatry.
Research article has been submitted for publication.

Scientific references behind Thoughtful
Thoughts behind Thoughtful - theory & research is a thorough review of the theory and research behind the program with nearly 200 scientific references. Link to the book below.

Ongoing research
More research projects about the Thoughtful program is under way in several countries. An ongoing large scale randomized trial investigates Thoughtful for pregnant women - to protect the featus/child during pregancy, birth and early childhood.

References

• Bak PL, Midgley N, Zhu JL, Wistoft K and Obel C (2015) The Resilience Program: preliminary evaluation of a mentalization-based education program. Front. Psychol. 6:753. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00753. Read

• Lundgaard P&L: The Thoughts behind Thoughtful - theory & research. A comprehensive professional volume about the Thoughtful program with nearly 200 scientific references. Read.

• Lundgaard Bak, P. (2012). “Mentalizing communities for children,” in: Mentalization Based Interventions with Children and Families, eds N. Midgley and I. Vrouva (London: Routledge).

• Lundgaard Bak, P (2016). Evaluation of the implementation of the Resilience Program in a Danish prison. State Prison Mid-Jutland. Internal Report. Read

• Lundgaard Bak P (2019a). Randomized controlled evaluation of a minimal intervention delivery model for The Resilience Program - a mentalization-based health education program. Read

• Lundgaard Bak P, (2019b). Evaluation of a minimal school intervention for The Resilience Program - a mentalization-based health education program. Read.

• Lundgaard Bak, P. (2018). Resilience; A practical guide to teamwork with children and adolescents. Routledge. Buy

• Lundgaard Bak (ed): Robusthed i børn og unges liv. Klim 2017a. In Danish Buy

• Lundgaard Bak: Tankernes Hus. Klim 2017b. In Danish. Buy

• Midgley N, Vrouva I (eds): Minding the child, Routledge 2012. Buy

• Valle A, Massaro D, Castelli I, Sangiuliano Intra F, Lombardi E, Bracaglia E and Marchetti A (2016) Promoting Mentalizing in Pupils by Acting on Teachers: Preliminary Italian Evidence of the “Thought in Mind” Project. Front. Psychol. 7:1213. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01213. Read

• Wilson P et al: Early intervention in pregnancy with the Resilience Program. Ongoing project from the Universities of Copenhagen, Aberdeen and Goteborg (personal communication).

Invitation

We would like to invite students and researchers to join us in Thoughtful studies.

Send os a mail with your thoughts.