INFORMATION SHEET
A Look into the Cognitive Effects of Magic Mushrooms
PLEASE READ THIS IN FULL BEFORE PROCEEDING
Recently, research has begun looking into the effects of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) on mental health, and its possible applications. As a result, much research has also been conducted into the safety of psilocybin, and its effect on cognition. However, nearly all of the research focuses on the immediate impacts of psilocybin and fails to address the residual effects of long-term use.
As a result, the current study is focusing on the long-term impacts of the drug on cognition and aims to identify if and how specific attentional aspects of cognition may differ in those with a history of psilocybin use compared to those without.
Please Note: The study does not require you to have used psilocybin, we require participants both with and without a history of use. At no point during the study will participant be given or encouraged to take any illicit substance.
Eligibility Criteria
In order for you to be eligible for the study you must be aged between 18 and 40 years old. You must be currently studying or have previously studied at a university level/higher education equivalent. You will have either taken magic mushrooms in the past 6 months or have never taken the drug before. You cannot be under the influence of any substance during this study and must not be afflicted by any neurological conditions. If you do not fit this criteria in some way, please inform the researcher, you will not be eligible to take part in the study.
What will I be required to do?
During the study, you will be asked to complete a screening questionnaire on your history of drug use and brief questions relating to education and neurological conditions/injuries. You will then be asked to complete a task the researcher will send you, where you need to respond to stimulus appearing on your screen by pressing a button. Full instructions will be provided prior to starting, and you will be given a short practice task to get used to what you are being asked to do. You will have a chance to ask questions before we initiate the actual task. The entire study will take place online, and participation should take no longer than 45 minutes. At the end of the study, you will be provided with a debrief form and contact details should you wish to contact the researchers. Before commencing the study, please ensure you are in an environment that is not noisy or distracting.
Please note: you will not be asked to take, or be given psilocybin, or any other drug during the study. We request that you are not under the influence of any substance (and preferably have not been within the last 24 hours), during participation.
Are there any benefits or advantages to taking part?
If you are a Level 4 undergraduate student and have registered for the study via the SONA system, you will receive 45 PsychCreds in line with the duration of the study. These will contribute to your progression to Level 5 study. The research will hopefully advance our understanding of psilocybin. Other than this, there are no direct personal advantages, however, we do hope you find the study interesting.
Are there possible risks or disadvantages of taking part?
It is unlikely there will be risks or disadvantages of taking part in the study. However, if by any reason this study causes you distress, you will be provided with the contact information of the researchers as well as support helplines, should you need them.
Do I have to participate? What is the withdrawal process?
Your participation in the study is entirely voluntary. Should you wish to no longer participate at any point during the study, you are able to stop without the need to provide a reason. You can do so by exiting off the task before it has finished, and your data will not be saved. By withdrawing, please note that this will mean you will not receive the PsychCreds. If you also wish to withdraw your data, please contact one of the researchers with your participant number. You can do this up to 7 days following participation.
Confidentiality and Consent
We understand the sensitivity of the information you are providing for us. In order for you to feel as comfortable as possible, we are keeping your data anonymous and confidential. There will be no point during this study at which you need to provide your name or identifying information. For this reason, you will have to sign a consent form, but this will not require your name or personal information. By completing the form you are consenting to the anonymous data gathered from the task being used for research purposes only.
What happens to my data?
All data collected will remain as anonymous and confidential as possible. You will not be asked for any identifying information and will not be directly linked to the information or results you provide. Your data will be saved under a unique and random participant code. The data will be stored in a password-protected University secured drive, to which only the researchers and research supervisor will have access. It will ultimately be collated with other participants, analysed and reported in an MSc Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience final dissertation. Your data will be stored securely until September 2022, after which it will be destroyed. The research supervisor will oversee destruction of the data.
Will anybody be able to contact me regarding my participation or results?
All data will be anonymised and will not be linked to you personally. Your email address will be required to provide the Zoom meeting link. However, this will not be stored with your data, and will be deleted along with all email contact upon completion. Therefore, you will not be identified from, or contacted on behalf of your data following the study.
What happens when the study is over?
When the study is complete, you will receive a debrief form. This will explain the full extent of the research. This will also contain the researchers and research supervisor’s contact details should you wish to contact them at a later date with any queries or concerns, or to find out about the results of the study. You will not be contacted following the study.
Please note: Sheffield Hallam University does not condone the use of illicit drugs. This study is purely for academic research purposes.
Researcher Details:
Researchers:
Dan Habershon b6026443@my.shu.ac.uk
April Douglas b5008504@my.shu.ac.uk
Akshaya Sankaranarayanan c0042705@my.shu.ac.uk
Supervisor:
Dr. Naira Taroyan n.a.taroyan@shu.ac.uk
The University undertakes research as part of its function for the community under its legal status. Data protection allows us to use personal data for research with appropriate safeguards in place under the legal basis of public tasks that are in the public interest. A full statement of your rights can be found at:
https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-this-website/privacy-policy/privacy-notices/privacy-notice-for-research
However, all University research is reviewed to ensure that participants are treated appropriately, and their rights respected. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Working Group of the Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Politics.
You should contact the Data Protection Officer if:
● You have a query about how your data is used by the University
● You would like to report a data security breach (e.g. if you think your personal data has been lost or disclosed inappropriately)
● You would like to complain about how the University has used your personal data
DPO@shu.ac.uk
You should contact the Head of Research Ethics (Professor Ann Macaskill) if:
● You have concerns with how the research was undertaken or how you were treated
a.macaskill@shu.ac.uk
Postal address: Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WBT.
Telephone: 0114 225 5555
Please continue onto the following page to book a timeslot to participate.