Professor Josianne Scerri completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Malta, graduating with First class honours. She continued her postgraduate studies obtaining a Master's in Education, and then read for her Doctorate at the University of Nottingham. Her Doctoral research was a prospective study examining the illness perceptions and emotional adjustment of patients with chronic illnesses and their carers. Josianne is a staff member of the Department of Mental Health, University of Malta. She also holds an Honorary Research Fellowship post at Kingston University, UK. Josianne serves as a member on the Person-centred Practice Research International Community of Practice; Global law enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA); the Malta NeuroScience Network; British Institute of Biology and the International Network for Health Workforce education. She also occupies the role of Chair's delegate on the University Research and Ethics-DP committee and is an Associate Editor of the Malta Journal of Health Sciences. As a keynote speaker at both local and international conferences, she has addressed issues relating to person-centred care, the experiences of patients and carers, as well as empowerment in health professionals, patients, carers and the academic community. She has published approximately 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored four book chapters.
lived experiences of patients and carers
adjustment in chronically ill patients and carers
adherence issues
patient and carer empowerment
interventions with chronically ill patients and carers
linguistic components in patient and carer narratives
OCT3102 - Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Disability
Research Work -International study involving academics from the UK (University of Nottingham), Hungary, USA (Ohio University), Australia (Queensland & Melbourne University), Italy (Catholic University Milan), Holland (Sanquin), Mexico (Circula vida), Canada (McGill) and University of Malta (represented by myself). The Lead Researcher is Professor Eamonn Ferguson from the University of Nottingham. The study is a cross-cultural comparison involving the examination of framing payments as gifts or earnings and the impact on the perceptions of individuals about the transaction. This will be done using 4 hypothetical charity games scenarios and the completion of 3 questionnaires. Data analysis involving Tobit and Negative Binomial models has now commenced.
-International study with the lead researcher being Prof. Mary Chambers (Kingston University & St George’s), the University of Malta (represented by Dr Alexei Sammut and myself) and other partners. This study will involve the validation and Implementation of the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ tool) with staff and service users. We are currently working on obtaining ethics approval to commence the validation process.
-Awarded RIDT funding to conduct a physical and psychosocial intervention with persons diagnosed with cancer.
Invited Contributor to Conference proceedings Publication -Scerri, C.A., & Scerri, J. (2007) The evolving role of patients support organizations- AOECS experience, International Coeliac Disease Meeting Proceedings Maribor, p 119-123.
-External Reviewer for the Report ‘Europeans of retirement age: chronic diseases and economic activity’ prepared by The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in 2012 in response to a call by the European Commission (DG SANCO, Directorate General Health and Consumers). Specific contract – No SC 2011 62 51, implementing Framework Contract No EAHC/2010/Health/01 (Lot 1). The report and list of reviewers can be viewed on: https://ec.europa.eu/health//sites/health/files/major_chronic_diseases/docs/rivm_report_retir ement_en.pdf • Associate Editor of the Malta Journal of Health Sciences • Reviewer for the British Journal of Health Psychology, Journal of Mental Health and Malta Journal of Health Sciences