Recently, simulation-based education (SBE) has been evidenced as an effective form of pedagogy in mental health and care settings, through consistent improvements in self-efficacy and technical and non-technical skills. A key component of SBE is post-simulation debriefing. Debriefing involves educators turning into facilitators and guiding participants through reflective discussions; however, there is no single debrief model used across simulation training. Debrief models have been previously evaluated, but not directly compared. This paper investigated whether there is a significant difference between self-efficacy scores of participants debriefed using the Diamond model and a modified Pendleton’s during SBE. Participants included 751 healthcare professionals who attended various simulation training courses between September 2017 and August 2019. Participants completed pre- and post-course questionnaires using the Human Factors Skills for Healthcare Instrument. Pre- and post-data were screened using Mahalanobis distance and Levene’s test and data were analysed using paired-samples Significant differences in human factors scores were found for the Diamond debrief model only. No significant improvements were found for the Pendleton’s model. Results suggested a benefit to using the Diamond model over the Pendleton’s model during simulation debriefs, due to a significant improvement in self-efficacy scores. These findings contribute to the gap in literature around direct comparison of debrief models and support studies where the Diamond model has yielded significant improvements in human factors skills previously.

Simulation-based education (SBE) supports early-stage psychiatric doctors to bridge educational and clinical practice while encouraging reflective practice. Research comparing the efficacy of in-person and online mental health SBE is limited. In a large-scale comparison study, we assessed for significant course evaluation measure differences between in-person and online participants attending an SBE course for early-stage psychiatric doctors. A full-day in-person course was adapted for online delivery over a half-day. It focused on developing confidence and clinical skills relevant to early-stage psychiatric doctors. In-person ( Paired-samples The data suggest online mental health SBE potentially represents an effective adjunct or alternative to in-person delivery. Further research is required to better understand these differences to support learners, educators, and commissioners.

The global burden of disease from mental illness has been increasing, whilst the number of mental healthcare professionals has been decreasing at alarming rates. Recruitment to mental healthcare workforces is a key priority to efficiently tackle this imbalance, and recruitment efforts can be aided through educational experiences for school students that encourage career choices in mental health. This pilot study evaluates a novel simulation-based education programme to inform students about careers in mental health. 94 school students aged 15–18 were opportunity sampled for this programme. Participants followed a simulated patient through four scenarios from hospital admission to returning home, whilst observing the roles of different mental health professions. Qualitative questionnaires were completed post-course, assessing the participants’ learning experience and perceptions of careers in mental health. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed a greater understanding of mental healthcare roles, participants’ desire to challenge mental health stigma, and a positive regard for simulation-based education. Simulation-based education serves as an innovative and applicable modality for career education. Moreover, it provides a novel approach to mental health literacy and stigma reduction in students, who could form the future workforces. Our findings act as a call to action for simulation educators, urging them to consider the application of simulation-based education in not just medical but also mental healthcare education. Large-scale deployment of this programme could have important implications for supporting mental healthcare recruitment.

COVID-19 required many simulation faculties to provide online alternatives to in-person training. Over this period, our organization pivoted fully to online delivery of mental health simulation-based education (SBE), defined as delivery entirely via a videoconferencing platform to participants remote from one another and the simulation team. SBE can help early-stage psychiatric doctors to bridge educational and clinical practice by providing exposure to a variety of presentations and a safe space to hone communication and de-escalation techniques while encouraging reflective practice We assessed for any significant differences across several course evaluation measures in a comparison between groups attending in-person and online versions of a simulation course for early-stage psychiatric doctors.An existing full-day course was adapted for online delivery over a half-day period. It focuses on developing confidence and skills in psychiatric history-taking, mental state examination, risk assessment and formulation, meeting the relevant learning outcomes set by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It encourages participants to explore consultation dynamics with a key emphasis on communication and human factors skills. Participants for in-person (n = 228) and online deliveries (n = 90) comprised of early-stage psychiatric doctors (core psychiatric trainee, or GP trainee level) based in mental health trusts in South London. Pre- and post-course quantitative data (assessing learners’ confidence, situational awareness, and course satisfaction) using the Human Factors Skills for Healthcare Instrument (HuFSHI) and Course-specific Questions (CSQ) measures were collected and compared across the two delivery formats, that is, in-person and online. Data previously collected from participants attending in-person deliveries were used in the comparison.Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine whether there were any changes in HuFSHI and CSQ scores pre- and post-course. Results indicated that there were significant improvements in HuFSHI scores as well as CSQ scores for both digital delivery and in-person delivery. Large and very large effect sizes were also observed for HuFSHI and CSQ scores, respectively, in both delivery formats. Our data suggest that participants benefited more from in-person delivery across CSQ measures and from digital delivery across HuFSHI measures.Our understanding of the educational differences between in-person and online mental health SBE is at an early stage. Our data suggest that online mental health SBE potentially represents an effective alternative to in-person delivery. Further research is required to better understand these differences.