ICMR Launches First Stigma Scale for Sickle Cell Disease:
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed the ICMR-SCD Stigma Scale for India (ISSSI), the country’s first tool to measure and address stigma faced by sickle cell disease (SCD) patients and their caregivers. The scale includes two components: ISSSI-Pt for patients and ISSSI-Cg for caregivers. Assesses stigma in 5 areas- familial/reproductive stigma, disclosure issues, illness burden, discrimination, and healthcare stigma.Developed in 6 SCD-endemic districts to reflect India’s tribal, regional, and linguistic diversity.Existing 3 SCD stigma scales from Africa and America were unsuitable for India due to phenotypic, socio-cultural, and contextual differences, necessitating a locally relevant tool.Psychometrically robust, suitable for clinical use, research, and policy evaluation. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the haemoglobin gene, leading to abnormal, crescent- or sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBC) instead of the usual round shape.
