The Role of Nursery Educators in the Promotion of Mental Health of Children from 0-18 Months

Childcare in infancy has been proven to significantly reduce the incidence of mental disorders in childhood. Nursery educators must therefore be prepared to keep up with the psychic development of children under their care. The IRDI (Clinical Risk Indicators for Child Development) is a psychoanalytically-based instrument able to point out developmental problems in children from 0-18 months. This paper intends to present the initial results of a research project aimed at evaluating the IRDI methodology as a tool to promote mental health in the early stages of child development. The 31 IRDI risk indicators served as a guide for educators when following the psychic development of children under the supervision of psychoanalysts. The results of the first phase of the study showed that there was a change in the teachers’ perception of childcare.