Annika Wirsching, MSc
Leiden University Medical Center; ARQ National Psychotrauma Center & Vrije Universiteit
Speaker Bio
Annika Wirsching embarked on her academic journey with a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Maastricht University. Building upon this foundation, she deepened her expertise, completing a Research Master's in Clinical and Developmental Psychopathology and a Master's in Clinical Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Currently, Annika holds a position as a psychologist at ARQ Center’45, specializing in the treatment of psychotrauma. Simultaneously, as a junior researcher she is involved in clinical trials with MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapy. This dual role showcases her dedication to both the practical and research aspects of mental health care.
Beyond her clinical and research roles, Annika is on the board of the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association (APRA). In this capacity, she contributes to the distribution of education and knowledge related to psychedelic research. In addition, she is dedicated to building a local community of early researcher and to bridging the gap between researchers and students in the field of psychedelic research.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
A psychometric evaluation of the Dutch revised mystical experience questionnaire
In the Netherlands, scientific interest in psychedelics and their subjective effects has been increasing. This comes with a rising demand for psychometrically sound measures for the subjective effects of psychedelics. For this reason, the present study examined the reliability, construct and predictive validity of the Dutch 30-item Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30), a self-report measure that has been used to assess subjective and mystical experiences occasioned by psychedelics. In an online survey, 322 Dutch-speaking adults retrospectively reported on profound experiences with psychedelics. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that both a four-factor structure and the same model extended with the MEQ30-total score as a second-order latent variable fit the data. Factor scores showed good internal reliability (α = between .81 and .94) and were significantly higher in participants that beforehand endorsed having had a mystical experience compared to those that did not, providing evidence for the construct validity of the questionnaire as a measure for self-reported mystical experiences. Additionally, MEQ30 scores significantly predicted the meaningfulness and spiritual significance of the psychedelic experience, as well as self-reported positive changes in well-being, life satisfaction and behavior, providing preliminary evidence for the predictive validity of the Dutch MEQ30. Findings suggest the reliability and validity of the Dutch MEQ30 and support the use of the scale in future studies on the subjective effects of psychedelics.