A Study of Stigma and its Correlation with the Self-Esteem on Socially Excluded Group:People Living in Leprosy Community of Delhi

Leprosy has always been linked with the social stigma and ostracizing of patient from society. Stigma and associated psychosocial problems are commonly seen in different cultures among the leprosy patients. This research aims to study the different aspects of health-related stigma and explore casual correlation with the self esteem. Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) stigma scale and Rosenberg self esteem questionnaires were used to collect data and Focus Group Discussions were conducted with the patients and their family members for collecting information on their socio-demographic characteristics and affects of the disease on their daily life experiences. Data was analyzed both qualitatively as well as quantitatively for analyzing the correlation between self esteem and stigma in the sample population.