Anxiety DisordersLSDPsilocybin

Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD

The authors developed and validated the 23‑item Psychological Insight Questionnaire, comprising two subscales (Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights; Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights), in a sample of psilocybin and LSD users. Scores showed good construct validity, were moderately-to-strongly associated with retrospectively reported increases in psychological flexibility and well‑being, and predicted these changes beyond measures of mystical and challenging acute effects.

Authors

  • Roland Griffiths
  • Alan Davis
  • Frederick Barrett

Published

Journal of Psychopharmacology
individual Study

Abstract

Background

Several measures have been developed to examine acute psychedelic effects (e.g. mystical-type and challenging experiences), but no measure assesses acute psychologically insightful experiences that may occur during psychedelic experiences.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire.

Method

A cross-sectional survey study among psilocybin and LSD users. Respondents ( n=1661; Mage=22.9, standard deviation=8.5; Caucasian/White=83%; non-Hispanic=91%; men=72%; United States resident=66%) completed an Internet-based survey.

Results

The Psychological Insight Questionnaire consists of 23 items with two subscales: (a) Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights and (b) Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights. Construct validity of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire was supported by strong correlations of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire (and Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights and Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights subscales) scores with the insight subscale of the Session Impacts Scale, and weak-to-moderate correlations with the Mystical Experiences and Challenging Experiences Questionnaires. Furthermore, Psychological Insight Questionnaire (and Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights and Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights subscales) scores were moderately-to-strongly correlated with retrospectively reported increases in psychological flexibility, and well-being/life satisfaction that were attributed to a memorable psychedelic experience. Lastly, incremental validity was established showing that the Psychological Insight Questionnaire (and Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights subscale) scores predict unique variance in changes in psychological flexibility, and Psychological Insight Questionnaire (and Avoidance and Maladaptive Patterns Insights and Goals and Adaptive Patterns Insights subscales) scores predict changes in well-being and life satisfaction, beyond measures of acute mystical-type and challenging effects.

Conclusions

The Psychological Insight Questionnaire has the potential to extend the understanding of the acute and enduring effects of psychedelics. Further longitudinal research is necessary to determine the long-term predictive validity of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire and to examine the role of psychological insight in predicting therapeutic outcomes.

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Research Summary of 'Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD'

Introduction

Earlier research has produced several broad instruments to quantify subjective psychedelic effects (for example, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, Hallucinogen Rating Scale, and Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale), and shorter targeted measures have since been derived to capture specific experiential domains such as mystical-type experiences (Mystical Experiences Questionnaire, MEQ) and challenging experiences (Challenging Experience Questionnaire, CEQ). However, the authors note that no psychometrically validated, multi-item measure specifically targets acute psychologically insightful experiences—realizations or discoveries about one’s personality, relationships, patterns of behaviour or emotions—that can occur during a discrete psychedelic episode. Existing single- or few-item constructs of insight (for instance, the “insightfulness” sub-factor within Oceanic Boundlessness or single items in persisting-effects questionnaires) and measures of emotional breakthrough capture parts of this domain but do not assess its breadth. Davis and colleagues designed this study to develop and psychometrically evaluate a brief self-report instrument, the Psychological Insight Questionnaire (PIQ), intended to measure acute insight experiences occasioned by classic psychedelics. The primary aims were to generate candidate items, test the instrument’s factor structure and internal reliability, and evaluate construct, predictive and incremental validity against established measures of mystical and challenging experiences as well as retrospective reports of changes in psychological flexibility and well-being. The authors positioned the PIQ as a tool for future clinical and laboratory research on mechanisms of psychedelic-related change.

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Study Details

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