Speaker Bio
Abigail Calder is a PhD candidate at the University in Fribourg, Switzerland, where she heads a research project on the effects of LSD on neuroplasticity in healthy people. She also conducts research into the adverse effects of psychedelics and their underlying causes, as well as psychedelics’ effects on people’s values and well-being. She is also the research coordinator of the ALPS Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland. She completed her Master’s degree in neuroscience at the University of Bonn and holds a Bachelor’s in psychology from TU Dresden.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
The Psychedelic Adverse Effects Scale: systematic assessment of adverse effects from psychedelics and MDMA
Background: Reporting of adverse effects in clinical trials is often sparse and unsystematic, and psychedelic trials are no exception. Most trials rely on spontaneous reporting or general questions, which can lead to under-reporting of even severe adverse effects. Information on treatment-relatedness is often brief and patients’ subjective experiences of adverse effects are usually omitted, though these would be informative. Nevertheless, psychedelics sometimes cause worrisome, potentially lengthy adverse reactions both within and outside of clinical trials. As more people become interested in psychedelics, reliable data on adverse effects is essential.
Research question: We aimed to identify the most clinically meaningful adverse effects from psychedelics and MDMA, then develop a systematic tool for measuring them in both clinical trials and observational studies of naturalistic use.
Methods: Using a literature search we developed an initial pool of adverse effects, as well as follow-up questions assessing symptom severity, patients’ subjective experience, treatment-relatedness, and duration. We then piloted and refined the scale based on data and feedback from three studies of psychedelics, including one patient sample, one healthy sample, and one sample from a prospective online study (N = 142). Finally, we improved the scale based on comments from an international group of experts.
Findings and conclusions: We present the Psychedelic Adverse Effects Scale, a comprehensive tool for measuring adverse effects in studies of psychedelics and MDMA. It can be completed in <15 minutes as an interview or questionnaire, and it accounts for variations in severity, patient experiences, treatment-relatedness, and duration.