The Psychedelic Integration Scales: Tools for Measuring Psychedelic Integration Behaviors and Experiences
This theory-building paper (2022) describes the development and initial validation of the Integration Engagement Scale (IES) to capture positive behavioural engagement with integration and the Experienced Integration Scale (EIS) to capture internal aspects of feeling integrated following a psychedelic experience. The scales were designed to inform the creation of enhanced integration support and the initial data indicates the scales are valid and reliable.
Abstract
In this study, we describe the development and initial validation of two psychometric scales for measuring psychedelic integration. Psychedelic integration refers to the post-acute period of time following psychedelic drug administration. We created the Integration Engagement Scale (IES) to capture positive behavioural engagement with integration and the Experienced Integration Scale (EIS) to capture internal aspects of feeling integrated. These scales were developed to measure post-acute psychedelic administration dynamics in order to inform the creation of enhanced integration support and to help refine a general conceptual understanding of the construct of psychedelic integration. The scales are brief and face valid instruments designed for practical use in applied and research settings. Scale items were generated and refined using the Iterative Process Model of scale development, with input from psychedelics experts and clinicians. Content validity, internal structure, and reliability were assessed via expert surveys, content validity analysis, cognitive interviewing, convergent validity analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The data indicates the scales are valid and reliable measurements of the behavioural and experiential forms of Psychedelic Integration.
Research Summary of 'The Psychedelic Integration Scales: Tools for Measuring Psychedelic Integration Behaviors and Experiences'
Introduction
Whitney and colleagues situate their work in a context of renewed scientific and public interest in classic psychedelics (for example, psilocybin and LSD), noting that these substances can occasion profound and sometimes destabilising changes in consciousness. They observe that while many psychedelic experiences lead to lasting improvements in wellbeing, outcomes vary substantially depending on the context and aftercare, and that ‘‘psychedelic integration’’—the process by which a psychedelic experience translates into positive changes in daily life—remains underdefined and empirically under‑studied. The study sets out to create and provide initial validation evidence for two brief psychometric scales intended to measure distinct aspects of post‑acute integration: the Integration Engagement Scale (IES), capturing observable, behavioural engagement with integration practices, and the Experienced Integration Scale (EIS), capturing intrapsychic feelings of being integrated. The authors aimed to produce practically useful tools for research and applied settings by following an iterative scale‑development process involving expert input, cognitive interviewing, factor analyses, and assessments of reliability and convergent/divergent validity.
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Frymann, T., Whitney, S., Yaden, D. B., & Lipson, J. (2022). The Psychedelic Integration Scales: Tools for Measuring Psychedelic Integration Behaviors and Experiences. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863247
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