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Infant and toddler mental health


Infant and toddler mental health (Sped- og småbarns psykiske helse in Norwegian) is a national initiative initiated by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The regional centers work interdisciplinary with a common vision to contribute to the best possible start in life for all children and their parents.

Infants, toddlers, and their families are a focus area for the regional centers for child and adolescent mental health and child welfare (RKBU Nord, RKBU Vest, RKBU Mid-Norge, and RBUP Øst og Sør). The focus area covers the period from pregnancy to school start (0-6 years).

Tidlig inn [Early Intervention]

A training program for municipal employees who meet parents of infants and toddlers, pregnant women, and their partners on a daily basis. The program provides training in tools and methods for early intervention. KoRus Nord leads this training together with a regional training team and each municipality. The regional training team consists of professionals from several competence centers. RKBU Nord contributes tools and methods related to depression and mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

New digital web resource for the Early Inn training program. Webpage Tidlig inn

National competency network for infant and toddler mental health

The Infant Network conducts research, knowledge development, and competence building that promotes infant and toddler mental health. The goal of the Infant Network is for more infants and toddlers and their families to receive effective help as early as possible. The network offers courses, conferences, and longer education programs in the field.

Training: Parent-baby intervention

an initiative to promote mental health in at-risk infants and toddlers. The offer is given as a support measure to mothers and fathers with depressive symptoms and their baby (up to 12 months). The goal is to strengthen the attachment between parents and baby by providing parents with guidance and advice on how to understand and respond to the child's signals. The intervention is provided by municipal health services or specialist health services. RKBU Nord offers free training in the intervention, which includes course material and guidance. Read more

Assessment tools and methods

The most known tools and methods used in the field of infant and toddler mental health are described here:

PsykTestBarn- Open Access journal publishing peer-reviewed scientific articles on psychometric properties of the Norwegian versions of tests and measurement instruments relevant to these fields.

Knowledge summaries of interventions/Measures

Knowledge summaries of treatment approaches

Systematic reviews of the effectiveness of interventions 

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