Miguel M. Terradas, Jalal Jerrar-Oulidi, Didier Drieu, Vincent Domon-Archambault, Stéphane Poulain, Julie Achim, Aymeric de Fleurian, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal - CIUSSS du Centre-est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, University of Montreal, Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS), Centre de Recherches sur les Fonctionnements et Dysfonctionnements Psychologiques (CRFDP), Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société (IRIHS), Université de Rouen Normandie (UNIROUEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Université de Rouen Normandie (UNIROUEN), Normandie Université (NU), Maison des Adolescents du Calvados, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies (RIKEN CLST), RIKEN - Institute of Physical and Chemical Research [Japon] (RIKEN), Psychologue clinicien en MECS, associations La SPReNe et Le Gîte (59), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société (IRIHS), Université de Sherbrooke [Sherbrooke], Centre médico psychopédagogique ACSEA de Caen, Hébergement thérapeutique, Maison des adolescents de Caen, Association Le Gite [Wasquehal], and SPReNe [Tourcoing]
Jalal Jerrar-Oulidi : psychologue clinicien en MECS, associations La SPReNe et Le Gîte (59).; International audience; Most of the children placed in child welfare residential care have experienced complex traumas linked to various forms of abuse and neglect, which have many important developmental impacts. Research shows that maltreatment is associated with increased aggression and disruptive behavior, internalizing difficulties, violence towards self and others, sexualized behaviors, academic difficulties, and early drug abuse. These experiences also negatively affect the attachment system and the mentalization process of the child. Consequently, working with this population represents a challenge for child care workers. This article describes a mentalization-based training program for child care workers who care for children aged six to 12 years old. First, the general framework of the training program is presented. Then, some of the therapeutic strategies used to improve the children’s mentalizing capacity are described. Those strategies are adapted to the psychic functioning level of the child. Finally, a summary of a preliminary study of the program’s efficacy are presented. This work suggests that mentalization-based interventions might represent a valuable approach in child welfare residential care.