Effectiveness of social skills training for reduction of self-perceived stigma in leprosy patients in rural India--a preliminary study.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of social skills training in leprosy patients to raise self-esteem and reduce self-perceived stigma.

Design: Five leprosy patients were given 10 day-long group-sessions of social skills training over 3 weeks. Training involved: identification of the emotions and concerns of patients when interacting socially; analysis of positive and negative social interactions and non-verbal and verbal skills training. Role-plays, videos and live models were used. Self-esteem and a reduction in self-perceived stigma were assessed qualitatively before and after training using semi-structured interviews. Assessment of change was scored under the indicators: self-perception, family, wider community and job. Patients were assessed for displaying new ways of interacting with people and changes in expectations for the future.

Results: Qualitative analysis of the interviews before and after training suggested that social skills training could raise the self-esteem of leprosy patients and combat self-perceived stigma. Increase in self-esteem, as evident through the verbal interactions with the interviewers and behavioural changes in the community, were noted in the majority of patients.

Conclusion: Social skills training along with counseling may be able to increase the self-esteem of leprosy patients, and so be a useful part of leprosy rehabilitation schemes to try and combat the stigma of leprosy.