An interventional study of Mental Health Robotic Simulation Training in Mental Health Simulation, Professional Identity and Interpersonal Communication Competence, sponsored by Alexandria University. Recruiting at 1 site in Saudi Arabia. Open to participants aged 17 Years to 27 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-04.
Sponsored by Alexandria University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
A quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up design will be used. Nursing students assigned to the intervention group will participate in structured robotic mental health simulation sessions involving interactions with a robot programmed to portray patients experiencing common psychiatric conditions, while the control group will receive traditional teaching methods. Outcomes will be assessed using validated measures of professional identity, interpersonal communication competence, and emotional intelligence before the intervention, immediately after completion, and three months later to determine both immediate and sustained educational effects
The increasing complexity of healthcare environments requires nursing graduates to possess not only clinical knowledge and technical competence but also strong professional identity, effective interpersonal communication skills, and emotional intelligence. These competencies are particularly important in psychiatric and mental health nursing, where therapeutic relationships, emotional awareness, and effective communication are essential for providing safe, compassionate, and patient-centered care. However, nursing students may encounter limited opportunities to consistently practice these competencies during clinical placements because of variability in patient exposure, supervision, and learning experiences.
Simulation-based education has become an important strategy for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical practice by providing realistic, safe, and structured learning experiences. Recent advances in educational technology have introduced robotic simulation as an innovative teaching approach capable of creating standardized and repeatable clinical scenarios. Mental illness simulation robots can portray patients experiencing psychiatric symptoms and emotional distress, allowing students to practice therapeutic communication, psychiatric assessment, emotional support, crisis intervention, and other mental health nursing skills in a controlled environment.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mental illness simulation robot on nursing students' professional identity, interpersonal communication competence, and emotional intelligence. The study employs a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up design involving undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a psychiatric-mental health nursing course. Participants are allocated to either an intervention group receiving robotic mental health simulation integrated into laboratory and clinical learning activities or a control group receiving traditional teaching methods without robotic simulation.
The robotic simulation intervention includes structured psychiatric nursing scenarios involving common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, emotional distress, and aggressive behavior. Each simulation session consists of pre-briefing, active interaction with the robotic patient, and faculty-guided debriefing focused on reflection, communication performance, emotional responses, and clinical reasoning. The intervention is designed to provide experiential learning opportunities that support professional role development, communication skill acquisition, and emotional competency enhancement.
Study outcomes include professional identity, interpersonal communication competence, and emotional intelligence measured using validated self-report instruments administered at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and three months after completion of the intervention. The findings are expected to contribute evidence regarding the educational value of robotic mental health simulation and its potential role in strengthening psychological, interpersonal, and professional competencies among future nurses.
Alexandria University is the lead sponsor of 569 studies on the registry; 125 are open to participants now.
Of its 12 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in this group will receive robotic mental health simulation training integrated into the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing course. Students will engage in structured simulation sessions using a robot programmed to portray patients experiencing common psychiatric conditions and emotional distress. Simulation activities include therapeutic communication, psychiatric assessment, crisis intervention, emotional support, de-escalation strategies, and nurse-patient relationship development. Each session includes pre-briefing, simulation, and faculty-guided debriefing.
Device: Mental Health Robotic Simulation Training
Participants in this group will receive the standard educational approach used in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing course, including lectures, instructor demonstrations, case-based discussions, laboratory teaching activities, self-directed learning, and routine clinical training. No robotic simulation or simulation-based psychiatric training will be provided.
Mental Health Robotic Simulation Training is an educational intervention that utilizes a humanoid or socially assistive robot programmed to simulate patients experiencing psychiatric and emotional conditions, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, aggressive behavior, and emotional distress. The intervention is integrated into the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing course and provides structured simulation experiences focused on therapeutic communication, mental health assessment, nurse-patient relationship development, crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, emotional support, and de-escalation strategies. Each simulation session includes pre-briefing, active interaction with the robotic patient, and faculty-guided debriefing. The intervention aims to enhance nursing students' professional identity, interpersonal communication competence, and emotional intelligence through experiential and reflective learning.
Professional Identity
Professional identity will be assessed using the Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students (PISNS), a 17-item instrument measuring professional self-image, social modeling, career choice independence, social comparison and self-reflection, and retention-related perceptions. Higher scores indicate a stronger professional identity.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence will be measured using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSREIS), a 33-item self-report instrument assessing participants' ability to perceive, understand, regulate, and utilize emotions. Higher scores indicate greater emotional intelligence.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the intervention (post-intervention).
Interpersonal Communication Competence
Interpersonal communication competence was assessed using the brief version "10-item" Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS), originally developed by(Rubin \& Martin, 1994). The scale evaluates individuals' perceived competence in interpersonal communication across several domains, including self-disclosure, empathy, social relaxation, assertiveness, interaction management, expressiveness, supportiveness, and communication effectiveness.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Alexandria University