Interventions for Stigma Reduction – Part 2: Practical Applications

Abstract

This paper reports the endeavours of the Working Group assigned to develop guidelines for interventions to reduce stigma. The group was comprised of academics and experienced field personnel, all of whom had either investigated stigma, implemented actions to address stigma, and/or had experienced stigma. The group’s mandate was to develop an intervention to reduce the stigma of leprosy, but while accepting that there are commonalities relating to stigma that cut across different health conditions, it was hoped that a generic intervention might be developed.

This goal proved to be unattainable in the time given: condition-specific peculiarities and the diversity of cultural contexts presented significant challenges. The group agreed, however, that a considerable body of theory and expert opinion does exist, and that general strategies might be developed from this. The Working Group discussed a systematic review of such material. It also discussed other material that was considered to be important but had not met the criteria for the systematic review. One conclusion of the group’s deliberations was that a “Stigma Intervention Matrix” could be a useful guide for cross-checking the development of situation-specific stigma interventions. The Stigma Intervention Matrix is presented in this paper.