The reflective function questionnaire for youth: Hungarian adaptation and evaluation of associations with quality of life and psychopathology

Abstract

An important correlate of mental health problems is mentalizing capacity, which appears to be particularly influential during adolescence. However, quality of life has not been studied in relation to mentalizing capacity among adolescents. This study aimed to translate the Reflective Function Questionnaire for Youth (RFQY) into Hungarian, present its psychometric properties, and assess its relationship with demographic characteristics, psychopathology and quality of life. A community sample of 384 youths aged 12–18 years completed the RFQY, the Measure of Quality of Life for Children and Adolescents, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. First, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis with direct oblimin rotation on the RFQY items. Next, we assessed the associations between the RFQY and demographics, quality of life, and psychopathology. The EFA resulted in four factors: Internal-self, Internal-other, Self-other, and Strong emotions. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the scales were .81, .82, .67, and .80, respectively. The subscales were uniquely associated with psychopathology and quality of life. Our study provides the first psychometric support for the Hungarian version of the RFQY and indicates that adolescents suffering from internalizing, externalizing symptoms or lower levels of quality of life could benefit from interventions aimed at enhancing mentalizing capacity.