Psychiatry: Staff Specialist Interview Questions Australia

The psychiatry questions that sit on top of the consultant appointments core: clinical scenarios, the system and governance questions specific to the specialty, and presentation titles.

Updated 7 November 2026

The structures these questions are marked on

  • SAFER See the patient, Assess systematically with ABCDE, Fix what you can and decide, Escalate with a clear request in SBAR or ISBAR, Review: the patient told, the handover, the documentation and what you would do if the first plan failed. Full guide →
  • The What it is in a sentence, Why it matters with a fact, What it means for this organisation and specialty, What I would do at my level and how I would measure it. Full guide →
  • STAR Situation in a sentence, Task: what you had to do, Action: what you did in the first person, Result: the outcome with a number where there is one. Add Reflection for STARR. Full guide →

Clinical scenario

Own the case plainly, describe the change and how you checked it worked. For scope of practice, be honest about your credentialing and the hospital's, do what is safe now, and tell the head of department either way. Describe your CPD as a system with one recent change in practice.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    There are no beds and a detained patient is waiting in the emergency department. What do you do?

    See the patient and make sure they are safe now. Assess risk and need. Fix: the least restrictive safe option, including crisis team alternatives, and the bed escalation. Escalate through the trust's bed management and the executive if the delay is harmful. Review: the patient's experience, the emergency department team's support, and reporting the delay. Know your obligations under the state's mental health legislation.

  2. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A patient you discharged takes their own life a week later. How do you respond as the consultant?

    The family first, with compassion and honesty. Support the team. The review, which looks for learning rather than blame. Your own wellbeing and supervision. Say what you would want the review to look at.

  3. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    How would you lead a community mental health team that is overstretched and losing staff?

    Find out what the team needs, prioritise safely, protect supervision and wellbeing, make the case for resources with data, and look at the model of care.

  4. Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleagueSAFER

    A patient with capacity refuses treatment and is becoming unwell. When would you use the state's mental health legislation, and how?

    The criteria, the least restrictive principle, capacity versus detention, the involvement of the family and the mental health professionals, and documentation. Show you know the law's current shape.

  5. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSAFER

    A junior doctor is struggling after a difficult incident on the ward. What do you do?

    Notice, check in privately, offer support and supervision, adjust the workload, and point to the services available. Model the culture you want.

System knowledge

Know the population, the hospital's role in the district and the waiting list position. Name three national pressures and link each to this hospital. For waiting lists, name the levers a specialist has and how you would measure progress. Explain the difference between staff specialist and VMO appointments and why you want this one.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the chief executive or general managerSYSTEM

    What are the biggest pressures on mental health services in this district?

    Bed pressures, emergency department waits, community capacity, the workforce including recent resignations, and the gap for rural and Aboriginal communities. Know the district's position and give one contribution.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the director of medical servicesSYSTEM

    How should mental health services work with emergency departments to reduce long waits?

    Psychiatric emergency care centres, liaison teams, crisis alternatives, and shared escalation.

Governance, safety and quality

Define governance in your own words and name your part in it. For the incident, describe your role, how it was reported, what the review found, the open disclosure conversation and what changed. For QI, give the measure and the result and whether it lasted.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the director of medical servicesSTARR

    Tell us about a serious incident in mental health you were involved in and what changed.

    The incident, your part, the family told, the review, the change, and support for the staff.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the head of departmentSTARR

    How would you reduce restrictive practice on an inpatient unit?

    Data on restraint and seclusion, training in de escalation, the ward culture, involving patients, and measuring the change.

Presentation

Answer the title set, use facts about this district, give a recommendation, and finish inside the time. Prepare for the questions afterwards, which are where panels separate candidates.

  • Your vision for mental health services at this health service over the next five years.
  • Reducing long emergency department waits for mental health patients.
  • Improving social and emotional wellbeing care for Aboriginal people in this district.

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