Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students
PurposeMentalization, as a core psychosocial function, not only encompasses emotional regulation but also involves the perception and comprehension of one’s own and others’ emotional states, constituting a crucial capacity for establishing adaptive interpersonal relationships. University students, d...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1555549/full |
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| author | Xin Huang Zemin Zhou Guang Yang Jiao Liu Xuan Li Xuemei Li |
| author_facet | Xin Huang Zemin Zhou Guang Yang Jiao Liu Xuan Li Xuemei Li |
| author_sort | Xin Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeMentalization, as a core psychosocial function, not only encompasses emotional regulation but also involves the perception and comprehension of one’s own and others’ emotional states, constituting a crucial capacity for establishing adaptive interpersonal relationships. University students, due to their unique challenges including academic competition, identity transition during this critical developmental period, and social pressures, demonstrate that impairments in mentalization capacity may significantly elevate the risk of depressive disorders. Concurrently, the exacerbation of depressive symptoms can further compromise mentalization functioning, thereby creating a self-perpetuating pathological cycle.However, there is a lack of validated assessment tools for mentalization in China. This study aims to provide a validated instrument for assessing mentalization in the Chinese population.MethodsThe Chinese version of the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ) was developed through rigorous cross-cultural adaptation procedures. Following Brislin’s translation model, medical English experts initially translated the instrument into Chinese. Subsequently, a panel of specialists in psychology and psychiatry conducted comprehensive reviews, back-translation, and iterative revisions to ensure conceptual equivalence. The finalized scale was administered to 874 Chinese university students exhibiting subthreshold depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] score ≥10). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were sequentially implemented to establish and verify the factorial structure. Concurrent validity was examined using the 8-item Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8). To assess test-retest reliability, 85 participants were randomly selected for retesting one week after initial administration.ResultsThe MZQ revealed a 3-factor structural model, and confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory fit indices for all three structures (χ²/df = 3.69, NFI = 0.83, CFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.92, IFI = 0.87, TLI = 0.83, RMSEA = 0.078). The correlation coefficient between the total MZQ score and the RFQ-C (Certainty about mental states) was -0.557, while the correlation coefficient between the total MZQ score and the RFQ-U (Uncertainty about mental states) was 0.428.ConclusionThe Chinese version of the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ) demonstrates good validity and reliability, making it a suitable tool for assessing mentalization levels among college students with potential depressive symptoms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6016ef16f97c4770a4e7fda950889e7c |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-6016ef16f97c4770a4e7fda950889e7c2025-07-07T13:39:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-07-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15555491555549Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college studentsXin Huang0Zemin Zhou1Guang Yang2Jiao Liu3Xuan Li4Xuemei Li5Psychology Teaching and Research Office, Hunan University of Medicine, Hunan, ChinaClinical Psychological Counseling and Intervention Center, The Third People’s Hospital of Guang’an, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of psychosomatic, The First Afiliated Hospital of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University/The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Jiangsu, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, Dianjiang People’s Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Major Brain Disease and Aging Research (Ministry of Education), The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Major Brain Disease and Aging Research (Ministry of Education), The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaPurposeMentalization, as a core psychosocial function, not only encompasses emotional regulation but also involves the perception and comprehension of one’s own and others’ emotional states, constituting a crucial capacity for establishing adaptive interpersonal relationships. University students, due to their unique challenges including academic competition, identity transition during this critical developmental period, and social pressures, demonstrate that impairments in mentalization capacity may significantly elevate the risk of depressive disorders. Concurrently, the exacerbation of depressive symptoms can further compromise mentalization functioning, thereby creating a self-perpetuating pathological cycle.However, there is a lack of validated assessment tools for mentalization in China. This study aims to provide a validated instrument for assessing mentalization in the Chinese population.MethodsThe Chinese version of the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ) was developed through rigorous cross-cultural adaptation procedures. Following Brislin’s translation model, medical English experts initially translated the instrument into Chinese. Subsequently, a panel of specialists in psychology and psychiatry conducted comprehensive reviews, back-translation, and iterative revisions to ensure conceptual equivalence. The finalized scale was administered to 874 Chinese university students exhibiting subthreshold depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] score ≥10). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were sequentially implemented to establish and verify the factorial structure. Concurrent validity was examined using the 8-item Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8). To assess test-retest reliability, 85 participants were randomly selected for retesting one week after initial administration.ResultsThe MZQ revealed a 3-factor structural model, and confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory fit indices for all three structures (χ²/df = 3.69, NFI = 0.83, CFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.92, IFI = 0.87, TLI = 0.83, RMSEA = 0.078). The correlation coefficient between the total MZQ score and the RFQ-C (Certainty about mental states) was -0.557, while the correlation coefficient between the total MZQ score and the RFQ-U (Uncertainty about mental states) was 0.428.ConclusionThe Chinese version of the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ) demonstrates good validity and reliability, making it a suitable tool for assessing mentalization levels among college students with potential depressive symptoms.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1555549/fullmentalizationMZQdepressionreliabilityvalidity |
| spellingShingle | Xin Huang Zemin Zhou Guang Yang Jiao Liu Xuan Li Xuemei Li Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students Frontiers in Psychiatry mentalization MZQ depression reliability validity |
| title | Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students |
| title_full | Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students |
| title_fullStr | Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students |
| title_short | Reliability and validity of the Mentalization Questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of Chinese college students |
| title_sort | reliability and validity of the mentalization questionnaire in a potentially depressed group of chinese college students |
| topic | mentalization MZQ depression reliability validity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1555549/full |
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