Losing and regaining reflective functioning in the times of COVID-19: Clinical risks and opportunities from a mentalizing approach

Much has been said about the severe mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic-a collective trauma, defined as an epidemiological and psychological crisis (American Psychological Association, 2020)-both in the present and in the foreseeable future. A large body of evidence suggests that mentalizing is a beneficial transtheoretical and transdiagnostic concept not only for understanding vulnerability to psychopathology but also in its treatment (for review, see Luyten, Campbell, Allison, & Fonagy, 2020). The current commentary therefore seeks to consider the COVID-19 pandemic-related risks for psychopathology but also discuss the clinical opportunities of the situation by incorporating a perspective of mentalization theory and practice.