Background: Mental health nursing education requires innovative approaches to prepare competent practitioners in today's complex healthcare environment. Simulation-based education offers promising advantages but requires systematic evaluation for effective integration into undergraduate nursing curricula.

Objective: To synthesize evidence on simulation-based educational interventions in mental health nursing education, evaluate their effectiveness, identify best practices, and provide recommendations for undergraduate nursing curricula.

Methods: A scoping review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Six electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Scopus) were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and January 2025. Studies evaluating simulation-based educational interventions in mental health nursing education were included. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

Results: Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Four primary simulation modalities were identified: standardized patients (SPs), high-fidelity mannequins, virtual reality (VR), and hybrid approaches. Simulation interventions demonstrated significant improvements in students' clinical competence (83% of studies), communication skills (76%), confidence (71%), and reduced anxiety (68%). Debriefing emerged as a critical component for maximizing learning outcomes. Implementation challenges included resource constraints, faculty expertise, and curriculum integration.

Conclusion: Simulation-based education effectively enhances mental health nursing students' clinical competence, communication skills, and confidence while reducing anxiety in clinical situations. A multimodal simulation approach with structured debriefing and theoretical underpinnings is recommended for B.Sc. Nursing curricula. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, standardized evaluation methods, and cost-effectiveness analyses.