Delusion of Jinn Possession in a Young Man With Schizophrenia: Case Report and Impact of Including a Religious Leader in Patient Care

Spiritual beliefs of many ethnic and religious groups can play a major role in the maintenance of physical and mental health. Integration of spiritual understanding into medical treatment can enhance patient outcomes in many specialties, especially psychiatry. As the Muslim population grows worldwide, the integration of spiritually and culturally sensitive mental healthcare with Islamic principles becomes increasingly important for optimum treatment outcomes. Herein, we discuss the inclusion of spiritual care in the treatment of a young Muslim man with schizophrenia who presented with the belief of being possessed by a jinn, a supernatural being capable of possessing or harming humans. In the context of a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of care, we focus on how Islamic principles augmented our patient's treatment through involvement of an Islamic religious leader (imam) to expertly address this patient's religious-based beliefs. Continuing to integrate spirituality broadly into mental health care should enrich our understanding of human nature and the patient experience and result in better outcomes through holistic medicine.