Reações emocionais dos hansenianos portadores de deformidade física

Abstract

This work's goal was gathering information to have an assessement of the leprous patient's emotional reactions. Those patients have physical deformity and receive assistance at a Health Center in Ribeirão Preto. Regardless theirsex, age, treatment time and the clinical form of the disease, 22 patients were interviewed through an instrument and a qualitative analysis of the recorded speeches, by the question: "How do you see (face) your physical deformity"? The analysis of those speeches, pointed out some emotional alterations reflecting several reactions such as: fear, disgues, loneliness, grief aggressiviness, anger, familiar and social rejection, worries about the future, inferiority complex, etc. Those reactions must be identified and understood by all the health staff in order to support the patients, clear about their living situation, trying to clear their minds of false concepts and taboos which are still persistent relating to the disease.