Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Blessings Chikasema is a Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Medicine (Mental Health) at Saint John of God University. He has 15 years of experience in training allied health professionals in Malawi. He holds a Diploma in Clinical Medicine from Malawi Adventist University, Bachelor of science degree in Clinical Medicine-Mental Health from St. John of God College of Health Science/Mzuzu University and a Master of Philosophy in Public Mental Health from Stellenbosch University. He is currently a PhD fellow in Mental, Neurology and Substance Use at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, funded by the African Mental Health Research Initiative II (AMARI-II).
Blessings has experience in conducting research through systematic reviews and data analysis. He has been involved in various research studies in which he has contributed to publication in peer-reviewed journals.
His interest in research includes child and adolescent mental health, depression, stress and anxiety, development and evaluation of culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions, satisfaction studies with mental health service delivery and mental health education in pre-service training of allied health professionals. His PhD work focuses on child and adolescent mental health, specifically the development and piloting of a culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions aimed at preventing common mental health disorders among children and adolescents living with visual impairment in semi urban and rural Malawi.
Supervisors:
Prof Chiwoza Bandawe, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Primary supervisor)