Example of a Detailed Scenario Script
| Scenario: Depressed Female Police respond to a call from a man stating that his ex-girlfriend called him and said she was going to take an overdose. She then hung up the phone. According to the ex-boyfriend they broke up one week ago after she found out he was cheating on her. They had been together for one year before that. He had found her moody during their relationship, and he knew that when she was younger she had taken an overdose. Her parents, who normally call or visit daily, have just left on a long-planned vacation and are currently out of town. He wants the police to go check on her, as she has no other family around and has no roommates. |
| Subject The subject is disheveled, possibly having drunk alcohol, as there are empty bottles around. She has poor hygiene (dirty clothes, messy hair, no makeup) and takes a minute to open the door. Upon opening the door and letting the police in, the subject exhibits a depressed mood and seems not to care about anything going on around her. She will only respond to empathetic questions but constantly insists that she is fine and there is nothing to worry about. She admits that she took some pills, but says that she had taken only a couple of Tylenol and nothing else. There are two half-empty pill bottles lying around, but none is completely empty, and she says that they weren't taken as part of the overdose. There is a note on the subject's bedside saying goodbye to her parents. She will not want to go to the hospital and if directly asked, the subject admits that she has attempted suicide before. She makes vague utterances, such as “I will never have to worry about that anymore,” and “You will not have to try and help me much longer.” She refuses to be future oriented. She also gives indications of major depressive disorder (low mood, increased crying, poor sleep, decreased appetite, loss of energy, poor concentration, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, feeling worthless, no view of the future, being fed up with life, and suicidal ideation), with the exact symptoms described depending on the questions asked. She also answers specific questions on these topics. If the subject senses true concern from the officers she will admit to taking 20 Tylenol. |
| Police objectives Recognition of elements of depression and gaining knowledge of symptoms. Empathetic communication to increase bonding and trust. |
| Building skill in interviewing subject to extract key knowledge. |
| Obtaining knowledge of the Mental Health Act, specifically whether use of it is appropriate. |
| Required equipment Baggy clothes Blanket Empty pill bottles |
| What would be expected from background information check? There is a history of one suicide attempt, and police were called when it occurred. |
| Scenario questions: given to each pair by the facilitator |
| Which mental illness, if any, are you dealing with? |
| What specific factors signify that it is this illness? |
| Are there any factors in this situation that suggest it may be a high-risk or a low-risk situation? If so, what are they? Does the presence of empty alcohol bottles signify anything about the risk level? Should the subject be hospitalized, and if so for what reasons? |
| Scenario answers |
| Major depressive disorder, with thoughts of suicide. |
| Answers to questions (if these questions are asked by the officers): they may not have asked any of the questions regarding low mood, increased crying, poor sleep, decreased appetite, loss of energy, poor concentration, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, feeling worthless, no view of the future, being fed up with life, suicidal ideation |
| High risk or low risk: this is an individual at high risk of completing a suicide. The risk is indicated by the following factors: |
| A note was left behind to say goodbye. If a note is left behind, then the individual has taken the time to tell the people she cares about that she will no longer be around and has clearly planned the attempt to some degree. Her planning may make it a higher risk situation, more likely to succeed, and most likely indicates the need for examination in a hospital. |
| Suicide attempt appears to have been planned to occur when no one was around. If she plans to commit suicide when no one is around, it can suggest a higher degree of planning and greater determination. In contrast, if a suicide attempt is spontaneous or occurs while others are around, it may lower the risk of a successful attempt. |
| Suicide has been attempted before, according to background information check and history obtained from boyfriend. If suicide has been attempted before, chances are it will be attempted again. One of the most accurate predictors of a successful suicide is past attempts. Therefore, always note a history of attempted suicide as an important risk factor. |
| The presence of alcohol may not indicate, by itself, a lower or higher risk, although some studies have shown suicides in which no alcohol was present have a higher risk of death. Therefore, the presence of alcohol should not be taken as a sign of risk for suicide. Additionally, this subject should be taken to hospital under the Mental Health Act, as she is a threat to herself for the reasons given. Also, Tylenol overdose is a common cause of death due to liver toxicity, so that alone would be a reason to take her for a medical opinion. |
| Facilitator checklist and facilitator feedback to officers (10–15 minutes including answers above) |
| How well did the officers ask questions to promote a positive interaction? Specifically, did they ask questions to try to promote bonding with the individual as a person (i.e., What is your name? Where are you from? Do you have any family and friends?)? |
| Did the officers effectively communicate so as to de-escalate the situation? (Was the situation resolved?) |
| Were active listening and empathy used in interaction with the subject? |
| Were the officers aware of their own body language? Did you see the officers use appropriate body language? |
| How did the officers answer the scenario questions? |
| Objective feedback from actor playing girl attempting suicide Observation of language used by the officers Observation of feelings elicited by interaction with the officers |
| Scenario questions for actor (given as feedback to officers, 5–10 minutes) |
| How did the police make you feel? |
| Were the officers empathetic toward you? |
| Were you more agitated by this interaction or did you gain reassurance that the officers had confidence in what was being done? |
| How could the situation be executed better? |
| Objectives of observing actor Observation of body language Observation of language used by officers |
| Scenario questions for observing actor (given as feedback to officers, 5–10 minutes) What did the body language of the police tell you? What could they have done better? |