School of Social and Political Science

Dr Saju Madavanakadu Devassy

Honorary Professor

Saju Madavanakadu Devassy
saju@rajagiri.edu
https://rajagiri.edu/faculty-profile-details/fr-dr-saju-m-d-cmi
https://twitter.com/https://x.com/sajumadavan/

Research interests

Social work profession and social work education

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles 

  1. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Yohannan, S. V., Mathew, L. M., John, S. B., & Ishnassery Pathrose, S. (2024). Individual, Familial and Environmental Risk Factors for Treatment Relapse Among Patients with Substance Use Disorders in Kerala: A Mixed Method Study. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 42(3), 280–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2024.2310252
  2. Scaria, L., Devassy, S. M., & Joubert, L. (2024). Familial and Social Implications of Breast and Gynaecological cancer in Kerala, India. Current problems in cancer, 49, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.currproblcancer.2024.101080 
  3. Thampi, K., Devassy, S. M., Goel, K., Zadok, I., Diamandi, S., Kassabri, M. K., Kuncheria, J. M., & Prahlad, H. (2024). Supervision framework for international field education in India: Shared knowledge and experiences of supervisors from India, Israel, and Australia. International Social Work, 67(2), 499-514. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728221123165 
  4. Devassy, S.M., Baby John, S., & Scaria, L. (2023). Cognitive factors associated with hypertension and diabetes control among diagnosed and treated patients; findings from a community cohort in India. Preventive medicine reports, 36, 102495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102495
  5. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Metzger, J., Thampi, K., Jose, J., & Joseph, B. (2023). Development of immersive learning framework (ILF) in achieving the goals of higher education: measuring the impact using a pre-post design. Scientific reports, 13(1), 17692. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45035-0 
  6.  Devassy, S. M., & Scaria, L. (2023). Prevalence and risk factors for falls in community-dwelling older population in Kerala; results from a cross sectional survey. Heliyon, 9(8), e18737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18737
  7. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Yohannan, S. V., & Pathrose, S. I. (2023). Protective Role of Social Networks for the Well-Being of Persons with Disabilities: Results from a State-Wide Cross-Sectional Survey in Kerala, India. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), 4213. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054213 
  8. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Varghese, J., Benny, A. M., Hill, N., & Joubert, L. (2023). Vulnerabilities and life stressors of people presented to emergency departments with deliberate self-harm; consolidating the experiences to develop a continuum of care using a mixed-method framework. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1019131 
  9. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., & Joubert, L. (2022). Risks and Barriers in Substitute Care for the Children of Parents with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Method Study in Kerala, India. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 10(12), 2408. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10122408
  10. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Benny, A. M., Cheguvera, N., Varghese, J., & Joubert, L. (2022). FASE-family and social engagement model for prevention and management of self-harm behavior–a study protocol for cluster randomized control trial in India. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.915568
  11. Devassy, S.M., Scaria, L. & Cheguvera, N. Task sharing and stepped referral model for community mental health promotion in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): insights from a feasibility study in India. Pilot Feasibility Stud 8, 192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-022-01159-0
  12. Devassy, S.M., Thampi, K., Harrison, J., Scaria, L., Metzger, J., Joubert, L. (2022). International Social Work: Cross-Cultural Supervision of Interns from the West in India. The British Journal of Social Work, bcac081, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac081
  13. Devassy, S. M., Allagh, K. P., Benny, A. M., & Scaria, L. (2022). Challenges of diabetes care in India: Results from a Family Cohort Study. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.), 10.1111/phn.13073. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13073 
  14. Nannatt, A., Tariang, N. M., Gowda, M., & Devassy, S. M. (2022). Family Factors Associated with Problematic Use of the Internet in Children: A Scoping Review. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 44(4), 341–348. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176221090862 
  15. Devassy, S.M., Scaria, L., Shaju, K.K., Cheguvera, N., Joseph, M.K., Benny, A.M., Joseph,

B. (2021). REaCH-Resiliency Engagement and Care in Health; a Befriending Intervention to Address the Psycho-Social Challenges of Vulnerable Youth in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Trial in India. Sustainability, 13(22), 12920. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212920

  1. Madavanakadu, S., Grills, N. J., Scaria, L., Benny, A. M., & Joubert, L. (2022). Prevalence and predictive factors of strain among caregivers of people with disability: results from R-Care community survey, Kerala, India. Disability and rehabilitation, 44(21), 6333–6339. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1965231
  2. Devassy, S. M., Green, D., Cheguvera, N., Yohannan, S. V., Grills, N., & Joubert, L. (2022). The lived experience of carers who assist people with disability in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. Disability and rehabilitation, 44(22), 6660–6667. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1970253
  3. Devassy, S. M., Allagh, K. P., Benny, A. M., Scaria, L., Cheguvera, N., & Sunirose, I. P. (2021). Resiliency Engagement and Care in Health (REaCH): a telephone befriending intervention for upskilled rural youth in the context of COVID-19 pandemic-study protocol for a multi-centre cluster randomised controlled trial. BMC Trials, 22(1), 500. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05465-5
  4. Devassy, S. M., Scaria, L., Cheguvera, N., & Thampi, K. (2021). Association of Depression and Anxiety with Social Network Types: Results from a Community Cohort Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(11), 6120. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116120
  5. Saju, M. D., Varghese, B. M., Scaria, L., Benny, A. M., Yohannan, S. V., Cheguvera, N., Rajeev, S. P., & Jotheeswaran, A. T. (2021). Swāsthya, an integrated chronic condition management programme for families of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC family practice, 22(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-020-01357-w
  6. Madavanakadu Devassy, S., Benny, A. M., Scaria, L., Nannatt, A., Fendt-Newlin, M., Joubert, J., Joubert, L., & Webber, M. (2020). Social factors associated with chronic non-communicable disease and comorbidity with mental health problems in India: a scoping review. BMJ open, 10(6), e035590. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035590 
  7. Madavanakadu Devassy, S., Webber, M., Scaria, L., Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan, J., Fendt-Newlin, M., Joubert, J., Benny, A. M., Nannatt, A., & Joubert, L. (2020). Social and behavioural risk factors in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in Kerala, India: a catchment area population survey. BMC cardiovascular disorders, 20(1), 327. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-020-01595-x 
  8. M D, S., Nukala, L., Shekhar, R., Gomez, K., Varghese, B. M., Benny, A. M., … Jotheeswaran, A. T. (2020). Cohort profile: social well-being and determinants of health study (SWADES), Kerala, India. BMJ Open, 10(3), e032803. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032803 
  9. Saju, M. D., Rajeev, S. P., Scaria, L., Benny, A. M., & Anjana, N. (2019). Mental health intervention at the workplace: A psychosocial care model. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1601606. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1601606
  10. Saju, M. D., Allagh, K. P., Scaria, L., Joseph, S., & Thiyagarajan, J. A. (2020). Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension and Its Associated Risk Factors: Results from Baseline Survey of SWADES Family Cohort Study. International Journal of Hypertension, 2020, 1–7. doi:10.1155/2020/4964835 
  11. Webber Martin, Joubert Jacques,Meredith Fendt-Newlin, Madavanakadu Devassy Saju, Scaria Lorane, Anuja Maria Benny, Joubert L., Towards the Development of an Intervention to Address Social Determinants of Non-Communicable Disease in Kerala, India: A Mixed Methods Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8636; doi:10.3390/ijerph17228636 
  12. Saju, M. D., Benny, A. M., Preet Allagh, K., Joseph, B., & Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan, J. (2020). Relationship between neighbourhood cohesion and disability: findings from SWADES population-based survey, Kerala, India. F1000Research, 9, 700. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.25073.1

Book Chapters

  1. Joseph, B., Krishnakumar, N. M., Ceasar, S. A., & Devassy, S. M. (2024). Role of Rural Women in Achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Through Mushroom Agri-Entrepreneurship: Mushroom Cultivation as a Sustainable Livelihood Option for Rural Women. In M. Justin & J. Thorat (Eds.), The Role of Female Leaders in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 214-231). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1834-8.ch013
  2. Saju M.D., Fendt-Newlin, M., Joubert, L., Webber, M. (2020). International capacity-building for practice research in India. Routledge: Melbourne. 
  3. Book Chapter: The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Practice Research, by MD Saju, Meredith Fendt-Newlin, Lynette Joubert, Martin Webber, Edited By - Joubert, L. (Ed.), Webber, M. (Ed.). (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Practice Research. London: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429199486

Background

As a consultant for the ‘Sea Wise’ - Workplace Mental Health Initiative at Cochin Shipyard (More than 17000 employees) and ‘SMILES’ - Federal Bank (more than 13000 employees) Employee Counselling Project, I provide expert guidance on mental health strategies, develop and implement supportive interventions, provide direct therapeutic interventions, and assess their effectiveness in improving workplace well-being. Additionally, in my role as Director of LIFE - Happiness and Wellbeing Centre at Rajagiri College, I oversee a range of intervention projects aimed at enhancing the mental health and overall well-being of students. This involves designing and managing programs, supervising and mentoring a team of professionals, and providing direct therapeutic services to individuals in need. Additionally, I had the honour of leading the project team that received the State e-Governance Special Jury Award in 2022 for the Resiliency Engagement and Care in Health (REaCH) project, recognized by the Government of Kerala for innovations in COVID-19 pandemic management. Under this project, we developed interventions to support students in managing anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was delivered as a telephonic intervention. 

I am honorary principal Fellow, in the department of Social Work, Melbourne University, Australia. I am also a visiting international scholar at several Universities globally, including Western Washington University, Columbus University, Western Michigan University, Nazareth University, the University of Maryland, USA, the University of Applied Sciences, Western Switzerland, and Vives University, Belgium. With over 20 years of teaching experience, I am an active researcher with more than 30 publications in high-impact journals. I have also been awarded a scholarship under Sister Dr Mary Glowrey Scholars Program, a joint program of the FMDHS, University of Melbourne and St Vincent's Health Australia, for collaborative activities with faculties at the University of Melbourne. 

Previous And Current Research Grants and Projects

  • Co-Investigator for AICTE SPARC project titled " Develop and test a Digital Health Intervention to Integrate Care for Improved Management of chronic physical and Psychological Health Conditions of community population in India" in collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore, United States of America - SPARC/2019-2020/P2472/SL. Grant Amount: 53,73,675 INR. (Project Period: 2023- present)
  • Principal Investigator - UK - India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) project, titled “Integrating social and health care for improved management of health conditions in India: International Social Work Paradigm”, in collaboration with York University, UK, and The University of Melbourne. Funded by the British Council and University Grants Commission- India (UGC). Sanction No and Date: MRP (H)-1751/11-12/KLMG054/UGC-SWRO 13th July 2012. Grant amount: 16753550/- INR (Project Period: 2017 – 2020)
  • Co-Investigator - Impress ICSSR, Government of India project titled “Integrating Social and health care for improved management of chronic physical and psychological health conditions in India; testing a technology-infused health intervention strategy” - IMPRESS/P798/2045/2018-19/ICSSR Grant amount: 1600000/- INR (Project Period: 2020 – 2021)
  • Research for Kerala Institute of Local Administration funded by Government of Kerala on the topic social auditing and performance improvement in local govt- a Post evaluatiion study in Nedumkandam Block Panchayat. Report is published by KILA
  • UGC-Minor Research Project titled on “Organizational Practices of Non-Government Organizations in Ernakulam”. Sanction No and Date: MRP (H)-1751/11-12/KLMG054/UGC-SWRO 13th July 2012

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