Mental Health First Aid crisis role-plays between pharmacists and simulated patients with lived experience: a thematic analysis of debrief

Abstract

Purpose Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, can recognise and assist people experiencing mental health crises. Despite this, little is known about how pharmacists assist and engage with people presenting with signs and symptoms of mental health crises. This study aimed to (i) examine pharmacists’ mental health crisis assessment language during simulated patient role-plays (SPRPs) and (ii) explore participants’ experiences of participating in SPRPs of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) scenarios. Methods Fifty-nine MHFA-trained pharmacy staff participated in audio-recorded SPRPs of three crisis scenarios enacted by a mental health consumer educator (MHCE). Post-SPRP, pharmacy staff members (including role-playing and observing participants), engaged in reflective debrief discussions with the facilitator and MHCEs. Debrief discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis and suicide assessment language was explored. Results The majority of role-playing pharmacists asked about suicidal ideation using appropriate, direct language (n = 8). Qualitative analyses of debrief discussions yielded four themes: (i) Relationship with the consumer, (ii) Verbal and non-verbal communication, (iii) Challenges with crisis assessment, which included difficulties associated with initiating conversations about suicide and mania, and (iv) Reflective learning. Conclusion While pharmacists demonstrated the appropriate suicide assessment language post-MHFA training, pharmacists felt uncomfortable initiating conversations around suicide and lacked confidence during crisis assessments. SPRPs provided pharmacists with opportunities to reflect on and practice MHFA skills in a safe learning environment. Future research exploring how MHFA training and SPRPs impact pharmacists’ ability to provide MHFA in real-world settings is warranted.

Simulated psychosis care role-plays for pharmacy curricula: a qualitative exploration of student experiences

“…Encountering mental health crisis situations in a pharmacy can be a challenging experience for pharmacy staff; many express uncertainties about their level of training in how to initiate and conduct useful conversations that would not cause discomfort, further distress or harm amongst consumers [ 3 , 7 ]. As previously demonstrated with medical students practising clinical communication with SPs [ 25 ], the unexpected content of the SP scenarios in this study challenged students, however they were reflective of real-world experiences in community pharmacy.…”

“…MHFA accreditation lasts 3 years; there is limited evidence to demonstrate the sustainability of improvements up to 6 months, and no studies have reported findings beyond 1 year post-MHFA training [ 14 , 22 ]. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether MHFA-trained participants’ crisis assessment skills change over time [ 3 ], which may also be evaluated via SPs. It is also suggested that studies use a control or comparison group to test the independent impact of MHFA training and/or SP role-play assessments on intervention behaviours [ 18 ].…”

Mental Health Nursing Student’s Perception of Clinical Simulation about Patients at Risk of Suicide: A Qualitative Study

“…Debriefing sessions facilitate reflective thinking and offer constructive feedback, promoting a deeper understanding of the learning experience [ 41 ]. Moreover, using a safe learning environment encourages reflection and the application of mental health first-aid techniques [ 42 ]. Consequently, participants are empowered to analyze their actions, pinpoint areas for enhancement, and comprehend the potential impact of their interventions in real-world situations.…”

Community pharmacists’ views and experiences of delivering in-pharmacy medication reviews for people living with severe and persistent mental illness: a qualitative study

“…Recruited pharmacies were randomised to either the Intervention Group (IG) or CG. Further information regarding the IG, including the PharMIbridge intervention and PharMIbridge training, has been described previously [19,[23][24][25]. Twenty-six pharmacies were randomised to the CG with 68 pharmacists attending the CG training, which included training on participant recruitment and study processes for the RCT, including consumer eligibility, informed consent and service documentation [25] and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) [26].…”