Introduction:
Evidence suggests that health care professionals are often uncomfortable talking with people about hearing voices, despite recommendations that mental health consumers be provided with opportunities to freely discuss their experiences (Coffey and Hewitt, 2008). Involving lived experience perspectives is integral to education of workers who will encounter people who hear distressing voices. The Hearing Voices that are Distressing (HVD) simulation workshop (Oor, 2018) was originally developed by voice-hearers and provides participants with first-hand experience of what it might be like to hear voices that are distressing (Bradshaw et al., 2021).

Evaluation Method:
The HVD simulation workshop was delivered by a mental health academic, mental health clinician and a person with lived experience; to 62 health care staff at four locations in rural South Australia (Murray Bridge, Berri, Port Augusta, and Whyalla). Change in empathy was assessed using the revised Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (Aronson, 2021). Focus groups and individual interviews (n=9) were conducted at 3-months post-simulation to explore participants’ experiences of the simulation and learnings for their practice.

Outcomes:
Significant increases in both cognitive and affective empathy were reported following participation in the simulation (p’s <.001). Participants reflected that having practical experience helped them develop deeper understanding of the impact hearing distressing voices has on a person's day-to-day life; how voice hearers may be preoccupied with their internal world; impacting their concentration, and engagement with others.

Key Learnings:

Key learnings for practice included the need to be respectfully curious and explore each voice hearers’ unique experiences and attached meaning; normalise the voice hearers experience, take time, not use ‘tick box’ approaches and be flexible and thoughtful in their practice.