Publications
A list of published works, including journal articles and blog posts.
Acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary evaluation of an animated VR game for reducing mental health stigma in health-care students and trainees: a mixed-method study
Mental Health and Digital Technologies
https://doi.org/10.1108/MHDT-03-2024-0010
This study aims to pilot-test the acceptability, feasibility, preliminary efficacy and user experience of an animated virtual reality (VR) game (“Goliath: Playing with Reality”) aimed at reducing stigma related to psychosis and schizophrenia among health-care students and trainees. A mixed-methods design [...]
A health psychology for all: The case of mental health in health research – Reflections from the DHP conference and ways forward
Health Psychology Update, Vol 33, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.53841/bpshpu.2024.33.1.36
In this article, the author reflects on his experience attending the 2023 BPS Division of Health Psychology (DHP) conference as a PhD student. Despite the well-established link between mental and physical health, the author identifies a discrepancy in the inclusion of individuals with mental health conditions in health psychology research, and makes a call for action [...]
The efficacy of psychoeducation to improve personal skills and well-being among health-care professionals returning to clinical practice: a pilot pre-post study
Journal of Mental Health Training, Education, and Practice, Vol 19, Issue 2
https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-11-2022-0089
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 [...]
The acceptability of serious games for the management of mental health: A brief review of published work
MultiPlay - The Network for Multidisciplinary Research on Digital Play and Games
https://multiplaynetwork.org/2024/01/29/the-acceptability-of-serious-games-for-the-management-of-mental-health-a-brief-review-of-published-work-by-george-farmer-raul-szekely/
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 [...]
‘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, Vol 10
https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231223801
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 impacted by, or involved in, the education [...]
Mental health and wellbeing of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff: An occupational psychology perspective
Occupational Psychology Outlook, Vol 3, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsopo.2024.3.1.36
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 [...]
The use of virtual reality to reduce mental health stigma among healthcare and non-healthcare students: a systematic review
Behaviour & Information Technology
https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2232049
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 concerning the use of virtual reality [...]
The most important facilitators and barriers to the use of Health Technology Assessment in Canada: a best–worst scaling approach
Journal of Medical Economics, Vol 24, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1080/13696998.2021.1946326
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 relative importance of known facilitators [...]