01775nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001200054653001600066653002700082653001800109100001400127700001000141700001600151700001700167700001500184700001700199700001600216700001000232700001000242245012900252856006300381520105100444022001401495       2022                            d  c02/202210aleprosy10asocial cure10astereotype endorsement10aSocial Stigma1 aMuldoon O1 aJay S1 aO'Donnell A1 aWinterburn M1 aMoynihan A1 aO'Connell BH1 aChoudhary R1 aJha K1 aSah A00aHealth literacy among self-help leprosy group members reduces stereotype endorsement and stigma-related harm in rural Nepal.  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hsc.137713 a<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>
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