Working towards mental health Recovery Among Persons affected by leprosy -WRAP STUDY

The Working towards mental health Recovery Among Persons affected by leprosy (WRAP) study is a three-year Participatory Action Research (PAR) feasibility project (January 2025–December 2027) implemented in India (Muzaffarpur District, Bihar State) and Nepal (Kathmandu District and Rupandehi District, Lumbini Province), with a total budget of €225,294.61. Led by The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI) and The Leprosy Mission Nepal (TLMN), with The Leprosy Mission Great Britain (TLMGB) as grant holder and Brighton and Sussex Medical School (UK) as academic partner, the study aims to co-produce locally rooted and culturally meaningful mental health interventions with persons affected by leprosy experiencing depression and anxiety. Building on earlier formative and pilot work, the project will establish Community Knowledge Exchange Spaces (CKES) and Local Advisory Groups to collaboratively design, implement and evaluate interventions, while developing a replicable model that can be adapted in other endemic settings.

Crucially, WRAP puts people affected by leprosy at the heart of the process—creating safe spaces where they can define what “good mental health” and “recovery” mean in their own words, and shape solutions that feel relevant to their daily lives. By strengthening peer support, dignity, and community participation, WRAP seeks to help individuals and families move beyond stigma and isolation, and support a more hopeful and empowered path to wellbeing.