The parasitic infection neurocysticercosis may give rise to a variety of psychiatric manifestations that resemble, but are different from, primary psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to determine if among individuals from a neurocysticercosis‐endemic area of Colombia who apparently had a psychiatric manifestation with associated neurological finding (`cases'), some could have been infected with Taenia solium cysticerci. This case–control study was done in individuals hospitalized in two mental institutions. The control‐1 individuals were those classified with primary psychiatric disease, and the control‐2 group consisted of healthy, non‐hospitalized individuals. A serological test for cysticercosis was positive in 5/96 (5.1%) cases, 4/153 (2.6%) psychiatric controls, and 5/246 (2%) healthy controls. The data analysis indicated a weak association between the cases and a positive serology for neurocysticercosis (odds ratio > 2; P > 0.05). The lower education level of the cases influenced this association.