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

Adults who used a psychedelic in the past year most prefer surveys that use specific substance names (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca) over umbrella terms. In a cross-sectional survey of 2,306 respondents, specific substance names received the highest preference (median rank 3; 24.3% ranked first), followed by "psychedelics" (median rank 3; 19.4%). Terms like "hallucinogen," "medicines," and "entheogens" ranked lower. Preferences were consistent across age, education, and experience levels. The findings offer recommendations for terminology in future survey development.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Expanding regulation and increased use of psychedelic substances requires surveillance of behaviors and health outcomes in the United States. Widely comprehendible terminology is important for surveys. The objective of this study was to determine what psychedelic terminology is preferred among adults who used a psychedelic in the past 12 months. A cross-sectional survey measuring psychedelic use behaviors was administered. A rank-order question was included to assess preferences for seven terminology options ranked first to seventh. Median rank scores (lower medians indicating higher preference) were calculated across subgroups defined by age, education, and level of experience with psychedelic substances. A total of 2,306 respondents were included in the final sample. Among the total sample, specific substance names (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca) were most preferred (median rank = 3; 24.3% ranked first), followed by "psychedelics" (3; 19.4%). Other terms that ranked lower included by effect (3; 15.0%), "medicines" (4; 16.2%), "hallucinogen" (4; 13.7%), "entheogens" (5; 8.5%), or something else (6; 2.9%), and patterns were consistent across subgroups. Broader recommendations for terminology use are proposed to assist further survey development.