Dr. Anissa Chitwanga, MSW, Ph.D.

Email:chitsan@txstate.edu

Biography and Education

Dr. Chitwanga earned her bachelor’s degree in Humanities from the University of Malawi with a minor in Psychology, an MSW from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research centers on several key areas: Advancing mental health equity among at-risk populations, with a particular emphasis on young women in marginalized communities, access to public benefits for minority groups and immigrants, the use of simulation as a pedagogical tool for teaching social work ethics, values, and cultural competency, and the dynamics of unhealthy sexual relationships between young women and older men, particularly the Blesser/Slay Queen phenomenon (A variation of Sugar Daddy relationships). She is particularly interested in the mental, sexual, and reproductive health of young women involved in these relationships. She is passionate about qualitative research and is trained in Attachment Style Interviewing.

Teaching Interests

Poverty & Social Change                                                                                    
Macro Social Work Practice
Social Welfare Policy
Social Work with Women
Research Methods
Human Behavior

Research Interests

Mental health equity, poverty, global social work, social change, simulations as a tool for the advancement of social work education, intervention/implementation research and community engaged research.