The Role of an Espiritista in the Treatment of a Homeless, Mentally Ill Hispanic Man

This paper presents a case study from an emergency psychiatric outreach team that serves homeless and mentally ill persons in New York City. Mr. V was homeless and believed that he was possessed by evil spirits who were causing his physical and mental problems. He was hospitalized involuntarily twice for medical reasons, but he refused to cooperate in his treatment and returned to the streets after his first hospitalization. After one visit by a spiritual healer during his second hospitalization, Mr. V began to participate in his treatment. He was discharged to a nursing home, and after three years he had not returned to the streets.