The Impact of Debrief Models on Self-Efficacy Within Mental Health Simulation Training: a Quantitative Analysis

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.