Use of a Conversational Agent for Training Mental Health Professionals in Suicide Safety Planning: Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Background: Safety planning is recognized as one of the most effective interventions for reducing suicidal behaviors. The quality of safety plans strongly depends on professional training, and traditional methods, such as role-playing, are time-consuming and offer limited opportunities for repetition across diverse patient profiles. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) may provide innovative solutions by offering accessible, flexible, and realistic training environments. Objective: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a GenAI-based simulator designed to train mental health professionals in safety planning. Methods: Twenty nurses and nursing assistants from psychiatric units in a French university hospital participated in a pre-post, single-session evaluation. After self-rating their ability, competence, and willingness to manage patients experiencing suicidal ideation, participants interacted individually with the text-based simulator for 20 minutes to perform a safety plan with a chatbot, then completed postsimulation acceptability items, and open-ended feedback. Composite scores were computed: acceptability (eg, helpfulness; 0-40), realism (eg, looking like real interaction with patient; 0-20), and challenge (eg, emotional challenge; 0-30). Pre-post changes were tested (Wilcoxon signed-rank test), and age-group comparisons were performed. Results: Acceptability was high (mean 31.9/40, SD 5.3; median 32, IQR 7), realism moderate-to-high (mean 15.1/20, SD 4.1; median 15, IQR 5.25), and challenge manageable (mean 17.0/30, SD 8; median 18, IQR 12.5). Participants rated usefulness (mean 7.65/10, SD 1.57; median 8, IQR 1.57), perceived learning (mean 7.6/10, SD 1.79; median 8, IQR 2), recommendation to use the chatbot for training (mean 8.3/10, SD 1.59; median 9, IQR 2.25), and feedback quality (mean 8.35/10, SD 1.27; median 8.5, IQR 1.25) favorably. Willingness to actively manage patients experiencing suicidal ideation significantly increased postsimulation (P=.03). Younger participants reported higher acceptability (P=.04) and realism (P=.03). Participants reported minimal concerns regarding the simulator's use. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrates that a GenAI-based simulator for safety planning is feasible and highly acceptable among experienced mental health professionals. The findings are promising and warrant larger, controlled trials to assess impacts on training effectiveness and patient outcomes.