Pictorial representation of illness and self measure (PRISM): A putative transdiagnostic tool for evaluating therapeutic effects of psychedelic treatments
Universität Zürich, ZORA May 1, 2025 Niloufar Pouyan, Jacob S. Aday, E Harte, Steven et al.
After naturalistic psychedelic use, people with depression, PTSD, or anxiety reported reduced identification of their identity with their illness, as measured by the pictorial representation of illness and self measure (PRISM). Among 297 individuals, the majority in each condition reported symptom improvement: 95.4% with depression, 98.36% with PTSD, and 94.87% with anxiety. PRISM scores significantly decreased after the most salient psychedelic experience, and larger reductions in self-condition enmeshment were associated with greater symptom improvement. The findings suggest PRISM can detect changes in self-perception across conditions, though limitations include retrospective reporting and unclear dosing.