ArticlePLOS mental health2026
The psychosocial impact of disability and stigma among persons affected by leprosy and lymphatic filariasis in India.
Article in PLOS mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF), can cause disabilities despite available treatment. Both diseases disproportionately affect India's poorest populations, with high numbers in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Those affected experience severe psychosocial consequences, including participation restrictions, depression, and poor mental health. This study investigates the extent to which stigma affects social participation and mental wellbeing among persons with leprosy- and LF-related disabilities in two Indian states. In a cross-sectional design in Bokaro (Jharkhand) and Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh), participants were randomly selected among persons with leprosy- or LF-related disabilities, along with comparable non-affected community members. Sociodemographic and disability data were collected, alongside four measures assessing mental wellbeing, depression, participation restriction, and stigma. Analysis used descriptive statistics, univariate, and multivariate regression. A total of 201 persons with leprosy-related disabilities, 240 with LF-related disabilities, and 98 non-affected community members were included. Persons with NTD-related disabilities exhibited significantly higher depression and participation restriction and reported lower mental wellbeing compared to community members (p < 0.001). In the leprosy group, lower education and lower stigma were key determinants of mental wellbeing (R² = 0.3), while in the LF group, higher age and less severe lymphoedema grade were significant (R² = 0.5). Participation restriction was associated with higher age, poorer mental wellbeing, and depression in the leprosy group (R² = 0.7), and with depression and stigma in the LF group (R² = 0.6). Persons with leprosy and LF-related disabilities face significant psychosocial challenges, including poor mental wellbeing, depression, and restrictions in participation, often exacerbated by stigma. Addressing these challenges requires integration of mental health support and stigma reduction within NTD programmes, with specific attention to the needs of persons with disabilities. Further research into connections between education, disability, and mental health is essential to deepen understanding and inform development of more targeted, effective interventions.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.