01460nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653003000067653001500097653001100112653001200123653003700135653001800172100001800190245004400208300001000252490000700262050003200269520091500301022001401216       1983                            d  c1983 Apr10aAnxiety10aCombined Modality Therapy10aDepression10aHumans10aleprosy10aPsychiatric Status Rating Scales10aPsychotherapy1 aMhasawade B C00aLeprosy--a case for mental health care.  a310-30 v55  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>One hundred twenty institutionalized cases of leprosy were tested for anxiety and depression on standard scales before and after psychiatric treatment. The latter seems to be effective in reducing both anxiety and depression after a course of treatment of three months. This appears to be a sound justification to advocate mental health care in institutions of leprosy in conjunction with physical care. Leprosy is a chronic and disabling disease entity. With the social stigma associated to the disease the psychiatric hazards of the disease are as bad as its physical manifestations. However, usually, only the latter attract attention. Ignorance about the disease and social values about the disease can at once land a person in depression on utterance of the diagnosis. Further, anxiety about the outcome of the disease in particular and future in general are known to exist in sufferers of leprosy.</p>  a0024-1024