The Subjective Harm from Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire (SHEEQ)
A printable PDF version of The Subjective Harm from Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire (SHEEQ) is available for download and use.
Isham L, Sheng Loe B, Hicks A, Wilson N, Bentall R P, Freeman D, The Difficulties of Grandiose Delusions: Harms, Challenges, and Implications for Treatment Engagement, Schizophrenia Bulletin, Volume 49, Issue 5, September 2023, Pages 1194–1204
Scoring
The lifetime harm items (L1 and L2) are screening items and should not be used to calculate the total harm score. The total harm score is calculated by adding together items H1 to H9.
The Subjective Harm from Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire (SHEEQ)
The following questions concern harm or difficulties that might have occurred in relation to your exceptional abilities, identity, role, mission, or wealth. Please answer the following questions on a scale of 0 to 4 where 0=not at all, and 4= all of the time. The first two questions refer to your whole lifetime, and the remaining questions refer to the last 6 months.
In relation to your whole lifetime:
L1: Have your special abilities/identity/role/mission/wealth ever caused any difficulties for you?
(This could be that they have caused difficulties directly, for example the responsibility has felt stressful, or they could have caused difficulties because of the way others have reacted to them).
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
L2: Is this something you have ever wanted help with?
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
In relation to the last 6 months:
Have your special abilities/identity/role/mission/wealth:
H1: …caused any difficulties for you?
(This could be that they have caused difficulties directly, for example the responsibility has felt stressful, or they could have caused difficulties because of the way others have reacted to them).
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H2: …resulted in physical harm occurring to you?
(E.g., getting physically hurt whilst on a mission; being assaulted by a member of the public in response to your exceptional experiences; or putting yourself in another physically dangerous situation etc.)
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H3: …caused you emotional distress?
(E.g., either directly causing you to feel sad, anxious, angry etc. or others’ responses to your exceptional experiences making you feel this way.)
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H4: …resulted in problems or difficulties socially for you?
(E.g., problems with friends, family, or strangers, including: causing arguments with family/friends, relationship breakdowns, or others rejecting you or being rude because they didn’t understand your exceptional experiences.)
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H5: …caused problems with your work?
(E.g., difficulties with colleagues; having to take time off work; losing a job; complaints from customers etc.)
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H6: …caused you to be in a situation where you have been sexually taken advantage of?
(e.g., having sex with a stranger because they had an important link to your special abilities/role/identity/mission/wealth.)
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H7: Have you put yourself in a risky situation due to your special abilities/identity/role/mission/wealth?
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H8: What would a friend, family member, or someone else who knows you well say if asked whether they think you have put yourself in a risky situation due to your special abilities/identity/role/mission/wealth?
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time
H9: Have you caused harm, upset, or distress to others due to your special abilities/identity/role/mission/wealth?
0 Not at all
1 Occasionally
2 Some of the time
3 Much of the time
4 All of the time