Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:05:15.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Spiritism in Puerto Rico

Results of an Island-Wide Community Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Ann A. Hohmann*
Affiliation:
Biometric and Clinical Applications Branch, Division of Biometry and Applied Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland
Madeleine Richeport
Affiliation:
Mental Health Secretariat of Puerto Rico and Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami
Bernadette M. Marriott
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Glorisa J. Canino
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Maritza Rubio-Stipec
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Hector Bird
Affiliation:
Division of Child Psychiatry, Columbia University
*
Biometric and Clinical Applications Branch, NIMH, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18C–14, Rockville, MD 20857, USA

Abstract

Using data from the first community-based, epidemiological survey of Puerto Rico, this paper examines the current prevalence of use of spiritist healers by Puerto Ricans, the role of spiritism in the provision of mental health services, and the association between spiritism and psychiatric disorders and symptoms. Those who visit spiritists were found to be more likely to work outside the home, to have a low family income, to have sought help for emotional problems from mental health professionals, and to have mild symptoms of depression.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

AAH is a US Government employee, and as such this material is in the public domain and cannot be copyrighted.

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn) (DSM–III). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Anthony, J. C., Folstein, M., Romanoski, A. J., et al (1985) Comparison of the lay diagnostic interview schedule and a standardized psychiatric diagnosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 667675.Google Scholar
Boyd, J. H., Burke, J. D., Gruenberg, E., et al (1984) Exclusion criteria of DSM–III: a study of co-occurrence of hierarchy-free syndromes. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 983989.Google Scholar
Bravo, M., Canino, G. & Bird, H. (1987) El DIS en Español: su traducción y adaptacion en Puerto Rico. Acta Psiquiátrica y Psicológica de América Latino, 33, 2742.Google Scholar
Breslow, N. E. & Day, N. E. (1980) Statistical Methods in Cancer Research: Vol. 1. The Analysis of Case-Control Studies. Lyon France: International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Burnam, M. A., Karno, M., Hough, R. L., et al (1984) The Spanish diagnostic interview schedule. Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 11891196.Google Scholar
Canino, G. J., Bird, H. R., Shrout, P. E., et al (1987a) The Spanish diagnostic interview schedule: reliability and concordance with clinical diagnoses in Puerto Rico. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 720726.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canino, G. J., Bird, H. R., Shrout, P. E., et al (1987b) The prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in Puerto Rico. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 727735.Google Scholar
Dohrenwend, B. P. (1976) Social status and psychological disorder: an issue of substance, an issue of method. American Sociological Review, 31, 1434.Google Scholar
Dohrenwend, B. P. & Dohrenwend, B. S. (1969) Social Status and Psychological Disorder: A Causal Inquiry. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Garcia, C. S. (1974a) Psicopatologia de la poblacion normal en Puerto Rico. In Psicologia: Investigacion Cientifica (ed. Rosello, J.). Madrid: Talleres de Industrias Graficas “Diario-Dia”.Google Scholar
Garcia, C. S. (1974b) Estudio epidemiologico salud mental II. In Psicologia: Investigacion Cientifica (ed. Rosello, J.). Madrid: Talleres de Industrias Graficas “Diario-Dia”.Google Scholar
Garrison, V. (1977) Doctor, “espiritista”, or psychiatrist? Help seeking behavior in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York City. Medical Anthropology, 1, 64185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garrison, V. (1978) Support systems of schizophrenic Puerto Rican migrant women in New York City. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 4, 561596.Google Scholar
Guimaraes, C. & Loyola, A. (1977) Medicina Popular ou Sistema de Saude Paralelho. Universita de Estadual de Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Medicina Social, Rio de Janeiro.Google Scholar
Haberman, P. V. (1976) Psychiatric symptoms among Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico and New York City. Ethnicity, 3, 33144.Google Scholar
Harwood, A. (1977) Rx: Spiritist as Needed. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Karno, M., Burnam, M. A., Escobar, J. I., et al (1984) Development of the Spanish-language version of the National Institute of Mental Health diagnostic interview schedule. Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 11831188.Google Scholar
Koss, J. (1987) Expectations and outcomes for patients given mental health care or spiritist healing in Puerto Rico. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 5661.Google Scholar
Lubchansky, I., Egri, G. & Stokes, J. (1970) Puerto Rican spiritualists view mental illness: the lay healer as paraprofessional. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 312321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martinez, R. E., Sesman Rodriguez, M., Bravo, M., et al (1990) Utilizacion de servicios de salud en Puerto Rico por personas con trastornos mentales. Acta Psiquiátria y Psicológica de América Latina (in press).Google Scholar
Pressel, E. (1974) Umbanda trance and possession in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In Trance Healing, and Hallucination (ed. Zaretsky, I.). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1975) Becoming a Medium: The Role of Trance in Puerto Rican Spiritism as an Avenue to Mazeway Resynthesis. University of Michigan: Ann Arbor Microfilms.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1980) Alternative Curing Systems in Brazil. Videotape produced by PAHO, Rio de Janeiro, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1982) Erickson's contribution to anthropology. In Erickson: Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (ed. Zeig, J.). New York: Brunner/Mazel.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1984) Strategies and outcomes of introducing a mental health plan in Brazil. Social Science and Medicine, 19, 261271.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1985a) Terapias Alternatives Num Bairro do Natal: Estudo na Antropologia Medica. Natal, Brazil; Edutoria Universitaria.Google Scholar
Richeport, M. (1985b) The importance of anthropology in psychotherapy: world view of M. H. Erickson, MD. In Ericksonian Psychotherapy, Vol. I: Structures (ed. Zeig, J.). New York: Brunner/Mazel.Google Scholar
Robins, L. N., Helzer, J. E., Croughan, J., et al (1981) National Institute of Mental Health diagnostic interview schedule: its history, characteristics, and validity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 381389.Google Scholar
Robins, L. N., Helzer, J. E., Weissman, M. M., et al (1984) Lifetime prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in three sites. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 949958.Google Scholar
Rogler, L. & Hollingshead, A. (1961) The Puerto Rican spiritualist as psychiatrist. American Journal of Psychiatry, 67, 1722.Google Scholar
Rogler, L. & Hollingshead, A. (1965) Trapped: Families and Schizophrenia. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Sartorius, N., Jablensky, A., Korten, A., et al (1986) Early manifestations and first-contact incidence of schizophrenia in different cultures: a preliminary report on the initial evaluation phase of the WHO Collaborative Study on Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders. Psychological Medicine, 16, 909928.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shah, B. V. (1981) SESUDAAN: Standard Errors Program for Computing of Standardized Rates from Sample Survey Data. Research Triangle Park, North Carolina: Research Triangle Institute.Google Scholar
Shah, B. V. (1984) Survey Data Analysis Software for Logistic Regression. Research Triangle Park, North Carolina: Research Triangle Institute.Google Scholar
Srole, L. & Fischer, A. K. (1962) Mental Health in the Metropolis: The Midtown Manhattan Study. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.