A Glimpse of Present Day Perspectives of Stigma Associated with Leprosy : A Qualitative Study from a Tertiary Care Centre in Tezpur area of Assam, India

Since time immemorial, Leprosy is linked with stigma and discrimination mainly due to lack of proper knowledge and understanding of the disease. The attitude and beliefs of people and society add to the preexisting situation(s). This affects the status of individual in society, social and occupational life. As social beliefs change with the time and vary from area to area, this study has been carried out to understand the present-day perspectives of stigma associated with leprosy Assam and its impact among patients of leprosy and community members. Specifically, this study aims at understanding as how the gender relations affect access to resources, decision making, and division of labour in patients of leprosy. This qualitative study has been conducted in a Tertiary Care Centre in Tezpur area of Sonitpur district of Assam, a state of Northeast India, to explore the present-day perspective of leprosy affected individuals and society towards the disease particularly the impact of leprosy on the patients’ mental health, marriage, social interaction, and employment. Data was collected through 6 focused group discussions including 90 participants (24 patients of leprosy receiving treatment from the hospital. The other respondents were non leprosy patients which included 42 family members, 16 colleagues, 8 health care workers), in–depth interviews and questionnaires involving the patients of leprosy and their close family members being attended at this centre. It was observed that the family members especially first-degree relatives and spouses had a major role tackling situations arising out of social stigma of the disease specially in patients dealing with reactions and deformity. Hospital staff were largely found to have a positive outlook on the disease process and evolution. There was no stigma or discrimination attached with delivery of health care services in our study. Our study also provides an overview of the impact of leprosy on the mental health on the patients and family members due to disease, reactions and deformities.