The PUF programme is a Danish-developed and validated method that helps health nurses examine the psychological development and function (PUF, Danish: “Psykisk Udvikling og Funktion”) in infants and initiate relevant preventive measures.
The PUF programme includes training of health nurses as well as guidelines for basic measures aimed to stimulate the child’s development and reduce the risk of worsening mental health problems.
The PUF programme has been developed by researchers of infants and by health nurses. It is based on research evidence, and specifically adapted to the work of health nurses in the municipal infant healthcare system. It provides tools for the health nurses to detect mental vulnerability in children aged 9-10 months, become better at communicating with the parents and organise initiatives.
The PUF programme was developed in 2018 and is currently implemented in 27 municipalities across the regions in Denmark.
Validity studies show that the PUF programme gives health nurses a better overview of the child’s development and need for measures.
The health nurses say that the systematic approach of the PUF programme helps them to do what they usually do, but now in a way that ensures that all essential areas of the child’s development and psychological function are taken into consideration and that the health nurse and parents do not get lost in individual problem areas.
The health nurses emphasise that the PUF programme makes them pay greater attention to more nuances in the child’s expressions and gives them a better professional basis for assessing the child and for supporting and helping the parents. Furthermore, the PUF programme helps them in their communication with the parents and helps them plan a municipal initiative.
After having used the PUF programme for some time, the health nurses emphasise that the PUF programme gives them a better basis for communicating with the parents about their child’s needs; primarily because the PUF programme helps to intensify the parents’ focus and makes them curious about their child’s development – and open to what they can expect from their child.
Overall, the health nurses experience that communication with the parents becomes more structured and simpler, and that not least the fathers are satisfied with the systematic approach of the study and the feedback.
Facts about the PUF programme
- The PUF programme includes the training of health nurses, standardised paediatric examinations, guidelines for feedback to parents and guidelines for measures.
- The PUF programme is based on scientific evidence and developed by researchers of infants and by health nurses for the purpose of being used directly in municipal healthcare.
- Validation studies have documented the face validity and feasibility of the PUF programme: The programme helps the health nurses to get an overview and plan preventive measures in the municipality, and the parents are happy with the method’s systematic approach.
- The PUF programme is currently being implemented in Danish municipalities.