Assessment of psychological debriefing models' components & effective implementation, and its impact on healthcare professionals stress management skills, mental wellbeing, and clinical performance.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to assess various models of psychological debriefing, their benefits, and the impact of their implementation on medical trainees & healthcare professionals' stress management skills, mental well-being, and clinical performance.

Methods: This review queried PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for articles regarding psychological debriefing in medical education published through May 2024. Included studies that assessed the utilization, implementation, and effectiveness of various psychological debriefing models in the hospital setting among nursing staff, medical trainees, and attending physicians. Outcomes evaluated were successful debriefing models, associated benefits, and attendees' attitudes toward implementation.

Results: Sixteen studies were included. In all psychological debriefing models, attendees had improved coping skills following a challenging clinical scenario and supported the future use of these sessions. However, several barriers to the success of these sessions like untrained facilitators and insufficient time devoted have been noted.

Conclusion: Psychological debriefing sessions assisted attendees cope with stressful situations, improved self-confidence, and advocate for themselves. Different models of psychological debriefing can be implemented depending on the resources of each facility.