The present study investigated the effect of mentalization-based training on academic self-handicapping and cognitive emotion regulation among female junior high school students in Tehran during the 2021–2022 school year. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group, the research population comprised all eligible students, from whom 120 volunteers completed initial questionnaires; 32 students meeting the inclusion criteria were then randomly assigned to experimental (n=16) and control (n=16) groups. Over two months, the experimental group received ten 60-minute sessions of mentalization-based training (eight for students and two for parents), while the control group received no intervention. Data collected via the Academic Self-Handicapping Scale (ASHS) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) were analyzed using analysis of covariance, revealing that mentalization-based training significantly reduced academic self-handicapping and enhanced cognitive emotion regulation (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that mentalization-based approaches can improve students’ academic performance and psychological well-being, and they underscore the need for relevant organizations to implement such training programs.