A Phenomenological Investigation of the Lived Experience of Adolescence among Adolescents Based on the Mentalization Capacity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of adolescents in relation to their mentalization capacity during adolescence. The ongoing investigation is a descriptive phenomenological inquiry. The study cohort comprises Tehran-dwelling adolescents between the ages of fifteen and eighteen in 2021. The participants were selected using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and inclusion and exclusion criteria in accordance with purposive sampling. Saturation was comparatively achieved following a semi-structured in-depth interview with eight adolescent boys and girls (4 female and 4 male adolescents) who had obtained the highest and lowest scores on the RMET, respectively. Utilizing MAXQDA 2020, the data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Data was additionally coded, clustered, and thematized. By analyzing the data of the participants with the greatest capacity for mentalization, a total of 1713 codes, 23 clusters of meaning, and 6 themes were identified. An analysis of the data collected from participants with limited mentalizing capacity yielded the extraction of 466 codes, 18 clusters of meaning, and 5 themes. Adolescents with greater mentalizing capacity demonstrated problem-solving, self-awareness, perspective-taking, relativism, and positive family relationships, according to the findings. Investigations into the lived experiences of adolescents with low metalizing ability did, however, yield the following results: absolutism, inability to analyze and explain, irritability, inability to solve problems, negative self-perception, feeling unsafe in social relationships, and increased family conflicts. The results of the current investigation indicate that adolescents’ perception of adolescence is significantly influenced by mentalization, which in turn enhances their intrapersonal qualities and the quality of their interpersonal relationships.

Keywords

• adolescence
• lived experience
• mentalization
• phenomenology