Evaluating mental health crisis training outcomes among police, firefighters, and public health staff

ISRCTN	ISRCTN16037777
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN16037777
Sponsor	Far Eastern Memorial Hospital
Funder	Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

Submission date: 04/07/2026
Registration date: 09/07/2026
Last edited: 06/07/2026

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
People experiencing mental health crises or behavioral emergencies may first come into contact with police officers, firefighters, and public or mental health staff. Appropriate training may help these frontline professionals recognise mental health crises, communicate more effectively, use de-escalation techniques, and reduce negative attitudes toward people with mental illness or substance use problems.

Who can participate?
Adult volunteer police officers, firefighters, and public and mental health staff.

What does the study involve?
This study evaluates a 4-hour, face-to-face mental health crisis response training course organised by the New Taipei City Government Department of Health. Participants attending the course may voluntarily take part in the study. All participants receive the same training, and there is no comparison group.

Participants complete a 32-item online questionnaire immediately before the course and a 37-item online questionnaire immediately after the course, including 5 additional questions about training satisfaction.

The questionnaires do not collect directly identifiable personal information, no biological samples are collected, and participants may stop completing the questionnaire at any time.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may benefit from improved knowledge, confidence, and practical skills in recognizing and responding to behavioral emergencies and medical or mental health conditions that may mimic intoxication or substance use. The training may also help improve personal safety, communication, de-escalation, referral, and emergency response during frontline duties.

The risks of participating are minimal. Participants will complete questionnaires and take part in educational activities. Some questions or case discussions may cause mild discomfort because they involve behavioral emergencies, restraint-related safety, or emergency medical situations. Participants may stop completing the questionnaire at any time before submission, and participation is voluntary. Because submitted questionnaires are anonymous and not coded, the research team may not be able to identify and remove an individual response after submission.

Where is the study run from?
Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2026 to June 2026.

Who is funding the study?
Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Who is the main contact?
Dr Hua Ho, femg97657@femh.org.tw, huaho790317@gmail.com

Contact information

Dr Chiao-Yin Cheng
Public, Scientific

No. 21, Section 2, Nanya South Road, Banqiao District
New Taipei City
220
Taiwan

Phone	+886277281843
Email	femhr9969@femh.org.tw

Dr Hua Ho
Principal investigator, Public, Scientific

No. 21, Section 2, Nanya South Road, Banqiao District
New Taipei City
220
Taiwan

Phone	+886277281843
Email	femg97657@femh.org.tw

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Allocation	N/A: single arm study
Masking	Open (masking not used)
Control	Uncontrolled
Assignment	Single
Purpose	Evaluation of a professional education and training programme for mental health crisis and behavioral emergency response
Participant information sheet	49839_PIS_v1.0_06July2026.pdf
Scientific title	Evaluating mental health crisis training outcomes among police, firefighters, and public health staff
Study acronym	TAIWAN-CIT
Study objectives	1.To assess immediate changes in self-efficacy, knowledge, and stigma-related attitudes toward mental illness, behavioral emergencies, and substance use among police officers, firefighters, and public or mental health staff following a 4-hour mental health crisis response training course. 2.To describe participants’ satisfaction with the content and delivery of the training course.
Ethics approval(s)	Approved 15/05/2025, Research Ethics Review Committee, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital (21, Section 2, Nanya South Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City, 220, Taiwan; +886 2 7728 2152; irb@mail.femh.org.tw), ref: 114067-E
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Management of mental health crises and behavioral emergencies by police officers, firefighters, and public or mental health staff.
Intervention	Participants attend a single 4-hour, face-to-face, instructor-led mental health crisis response training course organised by the New Taipei City Government Department of Health. The course covers mental health legislation, primary and secondary assessment of behavioral emergencies, crisis recognition, the violence escalation curve, communication, and de-escalation techniques. All eligible participants attend the same course; there is no control group, randomisation, or allocation to different study groups.Immediately after completing the 4-hour course, participants complete a 37-item online post-training questionnaire comprising the same 32 outcome items and an additional 5-item training satisfaction questionnaire. The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.The questionnaire measures self-efficacy, knowledge, stigma-related attitudes toward people experiencing mental illness or mental health crises, and stigma-related attitudes toward people with substance use problems. Demographic and professional characteristics are also recorded. No biological samples are collected, and no further follow-up is conducted.
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	Self-efficacy in managing mental health crises and behavioral emergencies measured using the total score on the 8-item self-efficacy subscale of the study-specific questionnaire at immediately before the training session and immediately after completion of the 4-hour training session Knowledge of mental health crisis and behavioral emergency management measured using the total score on the 6-item knowledge subscale of the study-specific questionnaire at immediately before the training session and immediately after completion of the 4-hour training session Stigma-related attitudes toward people experiencing mental illness or mental health crises measured using the total score on the 6-item mental illness and behavioral emergency stigma subscale of the study-specific questionnaire at immediately before the training session and immediately after completion of the 4-hour training session Stigma-related attitudes toward people with substance use problems measured using the total score on the 6-item substance use stigma subscale of the study-specific questionnaire at immediately before the training session and immediately after completion of the 4-hour training session
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Participant satisfaction with the training course measured using mean score on the 5-item post-training satisfaction questionnaire at immediately after completion of the 4-hour training session
Completion date	20/06/2026

Eligibility

Participant type(s)
Age group	Mixed
Lower age limit	18 Years
Upper age limit	100 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	6000
Total final enrolment	714
Key inclusion criteria	1. Aged 18–100 years, of any sex 2. Police officers, firefighters, or public health or mental health staff attending an eligible mental health crisis response training course organised by the New Taipei City Government Department of Health 3. Willing to participate voluntarily after reading the questionnaire information page 4. Willing to complete the online pre-training questionnaire
Key exclusion criteria	Not meeting all of the inclusion criteria
Date of first enrolment	07/04/2026
Date of final enrolment	20/06/2026

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Taiwan

Study participating centre

Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

No.21, Section 2, Nanya South Road, Banqiao District
New Taipei City
220
Taiwan

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Other files	version 1.0	06/07/2026	06/07/2026	No	No
Participant information sheet	version 1.0	06/07/2026	06/07/2026	No	Yes
Protocol file	version 1.0	06/07/2026	06/07/2026	No	No
Statistical Analysis Plan	version 1.0	06/07/2026	06/07/2026	No	No

Additional files

49839_SAP_v1.0_06July2026.pdf: Statistical Analysis Plan
49839_Protocol_v1.0_06July2026.pdf: Protocol file
49839_PIS_v1.0_06July2026.pdf: Participant information sheet
49839_Questionnaire_English_v1.0_06July2026.pdf: Other files

Editorial Notes

06/07/2026: Study’s existence confirmed by the Research Ethics Review Committee, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.