Resistance to Reintegration among Leprosy-Cured Individuals: A Study from Kerala

Abstract

Leprosy is more than a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium
leprae. It leads to severe deformities and is a condition laden with stigma.
A person diagnosed with leprosy faces challenges in all physical, social,
psychological and financial aspects of life. This qualitative study has explored
the psychosocial challenges encountered by leprosy-cured individuals at
the Kozhikode Government Dermatology Hospital in Kerala, India, and
the reasons for their resistance to reintegration. This study adopted a
phenomenological paradigm and undertook a theme-based analysis. Data
was collected from six participants, three males and three females, who
had spent more than 10 years at the hospital despite being cured. The
participants were purposively selected and interviewed using a semistructured
interview guide. The study showed that leprosy-cured individuals
had permanent physical disfigurements as an outcome of leprosy