The Virgin of Guadalupe as an Ancillary Modality for Treating Hispanic Substance Abusers: Juramentos in the United States

Abstract

During a 6-month research study of substance abuse outreach and retention methods in Mexico, the authors learned about the common practice of a self-control mechanism to abstain from substance abuse: Juramentos. Juramentos are pledges usually made to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the presence of a Catholic priest. The Jurado promises not to drink during a specified period of time. The authors discuss the dynamics of Juramentos and present data from an exploratory study indicating that Juramentos are being used among Mexican migrants in Florida and may provide a culturally sensitive adjunct for treatment of Mexican and other Hispanic clients in the United States.

Hispanic use ofjuramentosand Roman Catholic Priests as auxiliaries to abstaining from alcohol use/misuse

“…This present study replicates and expands on a study conducted among Roman Catholic Priests in Florida regarding the use of juramentos (Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011). In the Florida study, using relevant diocese webpage information, a mail survey was sent to Priests in parishes located in counties where at least 10% of the population was Hispanic according to the US Census 2004.…”

“…Only 9.6% of those seeking juramentos were reported to request 3 months or less. These long periods of abstinence as a goal in the juramentos were also reported by the Priests in the Florida study where 46.3% of jurados were reported to pledge for “10-12 months”, 31.7% for “more than a year”, and only 22% for “6 months or less” (Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011). This tendency towards goals involving long periods of abstinence appears to deny any possible arguments that juramentos are done in order to “opt-out” from true commitment to abstinence as would be required if entering formal substance abuse treatment or even a joining a self-help group.…”

“…These pledges are made usually in front of a Priest or other witness (Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011; Puleo, 2012; Zabicky and Solis, 2000). Juramentos are not to be confused with Mandas where the person pledges to sacrifice in some way (e.g.…”

Outcome expectations and associated treatment outcomes in motivational enhancement therapy delivered in English and Spanish

“…Additionally, some Latinos make religious vows of abstinence, known as juramentos or promesas , which are often recited in front of a priest and typically reflect a commitment to abstain from substance use during a specified amount of time. 32 Another possibility is that lower expectations are more accurate for complex disorders such as substance use disorders, and thus are more likely to be related to outcomes. These interpretations are preliminary, however, as this is the first study to evaluate outcome expectations in a predominantly Latino, monolingual population.…”

Deaths in Unlicensed Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities,

“…There is little existing literature on Latino traditional methods of treating alcoholism. In some cases, Latinos may rely on the Catholic Church to motivate alcohol withdrawal . Another approach uses herbal medicine to promote alcohol aversion .…”