@article{96629,
  keywords = {leprosy, social cure, stereotype endorsement, Social Stigma},
  author = {Muldoon O and Jay S and O'Donnell A and Winterburn M and Moynihan A and O'Connell BH and Choudhary R and Jha K and Sah A},
  title = {Health literacy among self-help leprosy group members reduces stereotype endorsement and stigma-related harm in rural Nepal.},
  abstract = {<p>There is increasing appreciation that group memberships can have both beneficial and damaging impacts on health. In collaboration with Nepal Leprosy Trust (NLT), this longitudinal study explores a group-based approach to stigma reduction among people affected by leprosy in rural Nepal (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;71)-a hard to reach and underrepresented non-WEIRD population. Informed by the 'social cure' literature, and the progressive model of self-stigma, we use a longitudinal design. We found that a sense of belonging to a self-help group can facilitate education in terms of health literacy, and over time these two factors also have impacts on participants stigma. Specifically, self-help group belonging predicted improvements in health literacy, leading to reduced endorsement of negative stereotypes and thus less stigma-related harm among people affected by leprosy. The study offers promising evidence that group-based interventions, which support health education, can reduce the harmful impact of stigma in very challenging contexts.</p>
},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Health & social care in the community},
  month = {02/2022},
  issn = {1365-2524},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hsc.13771},
  doi = {10.1111/hsc.13771},
  language = {eng},
}