PERSONAL SITE OF RAUL SZEKELY
Applied psychologist and doctoral researcher at the University of Surrey
ABOUT
I am an applied psychologist passionate about the psychosocial dimensions of health and healthcare, including mental health. Through my work, I aim to explore how digital innovations can be integrated into healthcare education, training, and practice, ultimately improving workforce capabilities and patient care outcomes. Additionally, I am interested in understanding and improving the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals and its impact on the quality of care provided.
I am currently undertaking a fully funded, full-time doctoral programme where, by leveraging the potential of virtual reality technologies, I aim to immerse future healthcare professionals in the subjective experience of patients with mental health conditions, enhancing understanding and reducing stigma. My research philosophy centres on collaborative engagement and co-production with key stakeholders, hoping to create research with real-world relevance, applicability, and impact. I believe in going beyond lab experiments to develop pragmatic interventions that address the pressing challenges of health and healthcare.
In addition to research, I contribute to teaching and learning activities across undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Academic Tutor. My teaching philosophy is focused on valuing students as partners in the educational process, where they are not just passive recipients of knowledge but, instead, have a fundamental role in tailoring the academic experience and all its aspects to their own learning needs. Furthermore, through compassionate pedagogy, I seek to prioritise student wellbeing in my teaching practice, and I am dedicated to fostering inclusive learning spaces where every voice is heard and valued.
Looking forward, my career aspirations involve carving a path in academia that integrates my passion for mental health stigma, healthcare education and training, and digital technologies. I am excited about leading innovative research and teaching at this intersection.
EXPERIENCE
September 2022 - Present
University of Surrey
DOCTORAL RESEARCHER & GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT
As a doctoral researcher, I design, conduct, analyse, and disseminate high-quality research on the topic of mental health stigma reduction using virtual reality, specifically within healthcare education. Furthermore, I actively participate in conferences, seminars, and pursue targeted academic and professional development training to enhance expertise and contribute to the field. As a graduate teaching assistant, I deliver teaching sessions across various undergraduate and postgraduate psychology modules, mark student work (e.g., essays, lab reports, presentations, exams) and provide constructive feedback to support learning and development.
July 2021 - August 2022
Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
As a research assistant, I played a key role in the clinical trials unit by successfully coordinating trial initiation and recruitment across various NHS sites. Specifically, I ensured documentation completion, including R&D approvals, developed training materials and organised site initiation visits, set up randomisation systems and trial databases, supported site staff with queries related to recruitment and data collection, and validated payments. Additionally, I conducted participant follow-up by administering quality of life and wellbeing questionnaires and liaised with relevant stakeholders to ensure a high response rate and to optimise follow-up strategies.
November 2020 - August 2021
Maudsley Learning
RESEARCH PROJECT ASSISTANT
In this role linked to my MSc dissertation project, I orchestrated the design, administration, and analysis of Qualtrics questionnaires, employing valid and reliable instruments to assess the efficacy of a psychoeducational intervention for healthcare professionals re-entering clinical practice after break or absence. Also, I conducted a comprehensive literature review on the topic of return to work among healthcare professionals, collaborating with key stakeholders to inform the development, delivery, and evaluation of the intervention.
August 2019 - January 2021
Brunel University London
RESEARCH SUPPORT
In this role, I supported a preference elicitation study using the best-worst scaling technique to explore facilitators and barriers to the uptake of health technology assessment in the Canadian healthcare system. Specifically, I led the setup and optimisation of the Qualtrics survey based on pilot feedback and managed recruitment logistics for timely and high-response completion. I also managed the data cleaning processes, conducted sub-group analyses, and contributed to the reporting of findings in the manuscript (published in the Journal of Medical Economics).
QUALIFICATIONS
September 2022 - Ongoing
University of Surrey
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD) - APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
Thesis working title
'Reducing mental health stigma among healthcare professionals in training using immersive virtual reality.'
Relevant modules
Preparation for Academic Research in Psychology, Quantitative Research Methods, Qualitative Research Methods, Teaching and Training Skills, Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, and Applied Psychology and Public Policy.
Funded by a Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences 3-year, "One Health, One Medicine" PhD Studentship.
January 2023 - December 2023
University of Surrey
POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE (PGCERT) - LEARNING AND TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Relevant modules
Professional Development, Different Voices, and Reflective Practice in Higher Education.
Result
Distinction, AFHEA pathway
September 2020 - September 2021
King's College London
MASTER OF SCIENCE (MSC) - ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Dissertation
'Evaluating the efficacy of a psychoeducational intervention in improving personal skills and wellbeing in healthcare professionals returning to clinical practice.'
Relevant modules
Organisational Research Methods, Basic Mental Health, Mental Health in the Workplace, Managing Mental Capital at Work, and Strategic Interventions for Psychological Wellbeing in Organisations.
Result
Distinction
Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology Prize for Academic Excellence - Best overall mark
September 2017 - June 2020
Brunel University London
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BSC) - PSYCHOLOGY
Research project
'The role of sex differences, academic stress, and emotional ability in predicting mental wellbeing among undergraduate students.'
Relevant modules
Advanced Data Analysis, Quantitative Research Methods, Qualitative Research Methods, Individual Differences, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Practical Investigations of Mind and Brain.
Result
First Class Honours
AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Graduate Member
NIHR MAUDSLEY BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE
Race and Ethnicity Advisory Group Member
ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF MEDICAL EDUCATION
Non-clinical Member
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Autism and Higher Education Research Steering Group Member
STUDENT MINDS
Student Mental Health Manifesto Steering Group Member
DIGITAL WORLD RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF SURREY
Postgraduate Researcher
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research interests revolve around mental health stigma, healthcare education/training/practice, and digital technologies.
1. How can digital technologies, particularly virtual reality, be effectively integrated into healthcare education and training to enhance learning experiences for future healthcare professionals and to improve patient care?
My PhD research revolves around the use of virtual reality as an innovative tool in healthcare education to bridge the gap in understanding the subjective experience of patients with mental health conditions. This is crucial because healthcare students and professionals often express stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness, traditional stigma reduction interventions, while valuable, have limitations, and mental health patients are still facing stigma and discrimination in healthcare, leading to alarmingly poor health outcomes. Therefore, through my research, I seek to uncover whether and how virtual reality interventions can effectively immerse future healthcare professionals in first-person scenarios, fostering empathy and reducing stigmatising attitudes towards mental health patients.
2. What is the impact of training/work training conditions on the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals, and how does this influence the overall quality of healthcare services?
Within the broader exploration of training/work conditions in healthcare, a particular focus of my research relates to the experience of healthcare professionals returning to clinical work after periods of absence or break, a group who often reporting reduced confidence and heightened stress during this critical transition. I am particularly interested in understanding how healthcare organisations can support the personal skills and wellbeing of returning professionals, and how this support translates to positive work-related outcomes, including increased work engagement, reduced turnover intentions, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Additionally, I am interested in researching the dynamics of mental health disclosure and help-seeking among healthcare professionals, including students and trainees, how training/work conditions and organisational culture impact healthcare professionals' willingness to disclose and seek help for mental health difficulties, and also how these interact with individual characteristics such as gender, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identity, etc.
3. What are the experiences of mental health patients within physical health settings, and how can these insights inform the development of person-centred care that effectively integrates both their physical and mental health needs?
Another strand of my research is dedicated to understanding the firsthand experiences of mental health patients and/or their caregivers in physical health settings, emphasising the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on perpetuating healthcare inequalities. At the same time, I plan to elucidate the perspectives of healthcare professionals, exploring the challenges they perceive and face and the support they feel is needed for effective care provision when it comes to mental health patients. These insights will serve as the foundation for developing healthcare policies, interventions, and practices targeted at reducing stigma and discrimination and improving the quality of physical care for patients with mental health conditions.
PUBLICATIONS
09 May 2024
Abstract: Through the lens of occupational psychology, this article sheds light on the mental health and wellbeing of staff working in intensive care units (ICUs), a vital component of healthcare. The article begins by discussing the work-related challenges encountered by ICU staff, including emotional burdens and poor [...]
Abstract: Many health-care professionals leave clinical practice temporarily or permanently. Interventions designed to facilitate the return of health-care professionals fail to consider returners’ psychosocial needs despite their importance for patient care. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a [...]
29 January 2024
Abstract: Video gaming has become a recreational staple for a global audience (Shafer & Carbonara, 2015), transforming the experience of leisure into an engaging virtual activity which was only exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic (López-Cabarcos et al., 2020). The psychological impact of video gaming has been [...]
Abstract: The resurgence of virtual reality (VR) technologies has led to their increased use in contemporary healthcare education. One promising application is simulating the experiences of individuals with mental health conditions (MHCs) to reduce stigma among future healthcare professionals. This study set out to explore what those [...]
Abstract: Healthcare professionals, including students, may express stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness. Virtual reality is thought to provide a novel insight into the experiences of individuals with mental health conditions and to reduce stigma. This study aims to systematically review the evidence [...]
Abstract: Health Technology Assessment (HTA), which can support public drug reimbursement decisions will play a core function in the planned national Pharmacare program in Canada. To address existing barriers to the use of HTA, these must be ranked in order of priority. The goal of this study was to access the [...]
CONTACT
Open to collaborations, reviewing research papers, and giving talks/lectures in my area of expertise — please feel free to get in touch.
Raul Szekely
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Surrey
Guildford, United Kingdom