Raul Szekely, BSc, MSc, AFHEA

Profile

As an interdisciplinary applied psychologist, I bring together theory, methods, and evidence from social, health, and behavioural sciences, as well as human-computer interaction, to develop and evaluate digital tools and interventions that support learning, improve well-being, and drive positive societal change. In my work, I embrace inclusive, participatory approaches, collaborating closely with diverse users and other key stakeholders at every stage of the research cycle to ensure that the resulting solutions are accessible, meaningful, and socially responsive.

I am currently finalising my PhD at the University of Surrey, funded through an internal studentship and based within the School of Psychology and the Digital World Research Centre. My research takes a multi-study, multi-method approach to investigate whether and how virtual reality can reduce mental health stigma among healthcare students, with a particular focus on psychosis and schizophrenia. Alongside my doctoral work, I have supported the delivery of teaching and learning activities on the BSc Psychology and MSc Psychology of Game Design and Digital Innovations programmes.

Prior to my PhD, I completed an MSc (with Distinction) in Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology at King’s College London and a BSc (with First Class Honours) at Brunel University London.

In July 2025, I joined Queen Mary University of London as a Research Associate within the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, working on an NIHR-SPCR funded project. In this role, I lead the evidence synthesis stream and contribute to the development of a digital health intervention for people with Type 2 Diabetes experiencing emotional distress, prioritising accessibility and health equity for underserved communities.

Research

Research Interests:

• Stigma and health
• Digital (mental) health
• Healthcare education and training
• Psychosocial interventions
• Gamification, serious games, virtual reality
• Accessibility and inclusivity in digital technologies

Previous projects and collaborations include:

• Led a scoping review with University College London's Global Disability Innovation Hub as part of the AT2030 Programme, exploring how the psychosocial impact of assistive technologies for blind or partially sighted people is defined and measured in existing research;
• Conducted a mini-literature review on explainability and AI during a Turing-funded research visit at the People and Technology Group, University College Cork (Ireland), and proposed a psychologically informed lens to better understand how people engage with and interpret AI explanations;
• Contributed to an Innovate UK-funded project with Maudsley Learning developing a novel, user-informed quality assurance framework and evaluation process for digital mental health tools;
• Served as a member of the Race and Ethnicity Advisory Group at the Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, supporting more inclusive and representative mental health research;
• Facilitated the setup, delivery, and follow-up of large, multi-centre NIHR-funded studies in intensive care units across the UK as part of my research assistantship at the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre;
• Evaluated an online-delivered psychoeducational intervention with Maudsley Learning and King's College London, designed to support the self-efficacy, work engagement, and well-being of healthcare professionals returning to clinical work after a period of absence;
• Supported a survey-based study with Brunel University London, Dalhousie University (Canada) and other international partners identifying barriers and facilitators to the uptake of health technology assessment among stakeholders in the Canadian healthcare system, partially funded by a Dalhousie Research and Innovation International Seed Grant.

I have significant experience acting as a peer reviewer for reputable psychology and health-related journals and conferences, such as Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (American Psychological Association), Digital Health (Sage), Journal of Advanced Nursing (Wiley), BMC Medical Education (Springer Nature), and the European Congress of Psychology (European Federation of Psychologists' Associations). I am also an active member within the Cyberpsychology Section of the British Psychological Society.

Publications

• Szekely, R., Holloway, C., & Bandukda, M. (2025). Understanding the psychosocial impact of assistive technologies for people with visual impairments: Protocol for a scoping review. JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e65056. https://doi.org/10.2196/65056
• Szekely, R., Mason, O., Frohlich, D., & Barley, E. (2024). Acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary evaluation of an animated VR game for reducing mental health stigma in healthcare students and trainees: A mixed-method study. Mental Health and Digital Technologies, 1(2), 173-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHDT-03-2024-0010
• Szekely, R., Mazreku, S., Bignell, A., Fadel, C., Iannelli, H., Vega, M.O., O'Sullivan, O.P., Tiley, C., & Attoe, C. (2024). The efficacy of psychoeducation to improve personal skills and well-being among health-care professionals returning to clinical practice: a pilot pre-post study. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 19(2), 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-11-2022-0089
• Szekely, R., Mason, O., Frohlich, D., & Barley, E. (2024). ‘It’s not everybody’s snapshot. It’s just an insight into that world’: A qualitative study of multiple perspectives towards understanding the mental health experience and addressing stigma in healthcare students through virtual reality. Digital Health, 10, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231223801
• Szekely, R., Mason, O., Frohlich, D., & Barley, E. (2023). The use of virtual reality to reduce mental health stigma among healthcare and non-healthcare students: a systematic review. Behaviour & Information Technology, 44(10), 2116–2133. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2232049
• Wranik, W. D., Szekely, R. R., Mayer, S., Hiligsmann, M., & Cheung, K. L. (2021). The most important facilitators and barriers to the use of Health Technology Assessment in Canada: a best–worst scaling approach. Journal of Medical Economics, 24(1), 846-856. https://doi.org/10.1080/13696998.2021.1946326