In 2014–15 the Department of Health & Human Services, on advice from the Simulation Based Education and Training Expert Advisory Group, commissioned a literature review to be included in the Simulation and patient safety – the benefits for your organisation resource. The review provided an appraisal of the available literature and succinct detail on simulation and its impact on patient outcomes. Based on findings from the review the advisory group advised the department that a publishable systematic scoping review would be valuable. It was agreed that a specific focus on mental health, as identified in the review, would transform the initial literature review into a publishable systematic scoping review that contributes to the evidence base for simulation. The scoping review focusing on mental health has been provided as part 2 of this document. This review has provided the department and the wider communities of practice with an important resource to better understand the importance of simulation and its impact on mental health outcomes. It can support future strategic planning and assist in better understanding where future research gaps exist within the literature.
