Development and psychometric validation of a novel scale for measuring 'psychedelic preparedness'.
Rosalind McAlpine, George Blackburne, Sunjeev K. Kamboj
Scientific Reports February 8, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53829-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scale development and validation study with iterative Delphi-focus group methodology, qualitative pre-test interviews, psychometric validation in two online samples, and a prospective pre-post retreat group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,278 |
| Population | Psychedelic users (online samples) and participants in a 5-7-day psilocybin retreat |
| Intervention | psilocybin retreat |
| Duration | 5-7-day psilocybin retreat |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Mental health assessment Psychological readiness Therapeutic screening Patient preparation |
| Citations | 24 |
| Key findings | The Psychedelic Preparedness Scale (PPS) is a reliable and valid measure that predicts mental health and wellbeing outcomes after a psychedelic experience, with higher preparedness scores associated with better outcomes. |
Abstract
Preparing participants for psychedelic experiences is crucial for ensuring these experiences are safe and, potentially beneficial. However, there is currently no validated measure to assess the extent to which participants are well-prepared for such experiences. Our study aimed to address this gap by developing, validating, and testing the Psychedelic Preparedness Scale (PPS). Using a novel iterative Delphi-focus group methodology ('DelFo'), followed by qualitative pre-test interviews, we incorporated the perspectives of expert clinicians/researchers and of psychedelic users to generate items for the scale. Psychometric validation of the PPS was carried out in two large online samples of psychedelic users (N = 516; N = 716), and the scale was also administered to a group of participants before and after a 5-7-day psilocybin retreat (N = 46). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified four factors from the 20-item PPS: Knowledge-Expectations, Intention-Preparation, Psychophysical-Readiness, and Support-Planning. The PPS demonstrated excellent reliability (ω = 0.954) and evidence supporting convergent, divergent and discriminant validity was also obtained. Significant differences between those scoring high and low (on psychedelic preparedness) before the psychedelic experience were found on measures of mental health/wellbeing outcomes assessed after the experience, suggesting that the scale has predictive utility. By prospectively measuring modifiable pre-treatment preparatory behaviours and attitudes using the PPS, it may be possible to determine whether a participant has generated the appropriate mental 'set' and is therefore likely to benefit from a psychedelic experience, or at least, less likely to be harmed.