Psychedelic Terminology Preference in the 2024 National Survey Investigating Hallucinogenic Trends (NSIHT)

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Public Health
• Psychoactive Substance Research

Background:

• Increasing regulation and use of psychedelic substances necessitate effective public health surveillance.
• Clear and understandable terminology is crucial for accurate data collection in surveys.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify preferred terminology for psychedelic substances among adults who have used them recently.
• To inform the development of standardized survey instruments for psychedelic research.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 2,306 adult respondents.
• A rank-order question assessed preferences for seven different terminology options.
• Median rank scores were analyzed across demographic subgroups (age, education, experience).

Main Results:

• Specific substance names (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca) were the most preferred terminology (24.3% ranked first).
• The general term "psychedelics" was the second most preferred (19.4% ranked first).
• Terms like "medicines," "hallucinogen," and "entheogens" were less preferred.

Conclusions:

• Specific substance names and the term "psychedelics" are recommended for use in surveys targeting adults.
• Consistent terminology preferences across subgroups support broad applicability of these recommendations.
• Standardized terminology will enhance the reliability and validity of psychedelic use surveys.