Objective　To investigate the application value of experiential teaching in the clinical teaching of psychiatry. Methods　A total of 80 senior students who received internship in Department of Psychiatry in our hospital from June 2017 to February 2018 were randomly divided into control group and observation group

with 40 students in each group. The students in the control group received traditional teaching

and those in the observation group received experiential teaching. The scores of theoretical examination and practical skill examination were compared between the two groups

and a questionnaire survey was performed to investigate their feedback for clinical teaching. Results　There was no significant difference in the score of theoretical examination between the two groups (79.20±11.58 vs. 81.60±12.51)

but the observation group had a significantly higher score of practical skills than the control group (85.80±6.37 vs. 73.40±7.60). The results of the questionnaire survey showed that compared with the control group

the observation group had significantly better abilities of clinical practice

knowledge understanding

comprehensive analysis

problem solving

and team cooperation

and the experiential teaching method helped the students to grasp the teaching content

improve learning efficiency

cultivate self-learning ability

and stimulate their learning interest. Conclusion　Experiential teaching can improve students' learning interest

satisfaction with teaching

and doctor-patient communication ability and thus improve the training effect of psychiatric practical skills. Therefore

it holds promise for application in teaching.