Best questions for ex-cult member survey about peer support group needs

Here are some of the best questions for an ex-cult member survey about peer support group needs, plus practical tips to create them. We use Specific to generate these surveys in seconds, so you can focus on what matters—strong insights.

What are the best open-ended questions for Ex-Cult Member survey about Peer Support Group Needs?

Open-ended questions let ex-cult members express their experiences, hopes, and pain points in their own words. These are especially helpful for uncovering emotional needs, nuanced perspectives, and recovering journeys, which heavily shape peer support dynamics. When you need stories and motivations—not just statistics—open questions dig deeper. They’re essential to get to the heart of what peer support must deliver.

Given that 83% of ex-cult members report anxiety, 76% harbor anger toward group leadership, and over 67% experience depression after leaving cults, open responses can reveal unmet needs only personal stories capture [1].

1. Can you describe your biggest challenges since leaving your former group?

2. What kinds of support have you found most helpful during your recovery?

3. In what ways do you wish peer support groups were different or better?

4. What topics or issues do you most want to discuss with others who have left similar groups?

5. How comfortable do you feel sharing in a group setting? What would help you feel safer?

6. What barriers (emotional, social, practical) have prevented you from joining support groups?

7. How did your experiences in the group affect your relationships with friends and family now?

8. What qualities make a peer support group valuable to you?

9. Are there resources or types of help you wish existed (but haven’t found) for ex-cult members?

10. What advice would you offer someone new to a peer support group after leaving a cult?

What are the best single-select multiple-choice questions for Ex-Cult Member survey about Peer Support Group Needs?

Single-select multiple choice is perfect when you need to quantify trends or gently ease respondents into a topic. They lower the bar to entry—sometimes it’s simply easier to click an option than compose a paragraph, especially on emotional topics. These can spark conversation and set up smart follow-up questions for richer context.

Question: Which type of peer support do you find most helpful?

• In-person support groups

• Online forums or groups

• One-on-one mentorship

• Other

Question: What’s your primary motivation for seeking a peer support group?

• Emotional support

• Practical advice for reintegration

• Social connection

• Learning from others’ experiences

Question: What challenges prevent you from joining a peer support group?

• Lack of time

• Fear of stigma

• Uncertainty about group value

• Other

When to followup with "why?" Any time a response could mean different things to different people. For example, if someone selects “Uncertainty about group value” as a barrier, a follow-up like “Can you share what concerns you most about the group’s value?” unveils real obstacles. That’s when you get insight, not just data.

When and why to add the "Other" choice? When your audience is diverse or the subject is sensitive, “Other” lets people express themselves outside predefined boxes. By following up—“Please describe what else would help you”—you uncover insights you didn't anticipate, making your survey inclusive and thorough.

NPS questions for Ex-Cult Member survey about Peer Support Group Needs?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) typically measures recommendation likelihood. For ex-cult members, using NPS can gauge the impact of existing or prospective peer groups—are they effective enough for members to recommend them? This gives you a benchmark for trust and satisfaction, vital in rebuilding lives after controlling environments. It’s widely used to quickly assess group health, and it’s easy to implement with platforms like Specific’s NPS survey generator.

The power of follow-up questions

AI-powered automated follow-up questions are survey magic—clarifying vague replies, uncovering deeper motivations, and making the conversation truly interactive. This is especially crucial in ex-cult member surveys where feelings and needs are nuanced and context-dependent. Every answer can open doors to empathy, support, and tailored solutions. With Specific, follow-ups happen in real time, so surveys feel like natural conversations with someone who genuinely cares.

• Ex-cult member: “I feel left out sometimes.”

• AI follow-up: “Can you tell me more about when you feel this way or what triggers it?”

How many followups to ask? Two or three well-timed follow-ups are usually enough to get past surface-level answers. If the context is clear, it’s good to allow the conversation to naturally move on—Specific can be set to do just that.

This makes it a conversational survey: Follow-ups turn your survey into a two-way exchange—not a one-way interrogation. People feel heard, engaged, and more likely to share openly.

AI survey response analysis: Even if you receive a wall of unstructured text, AI tools like Specific’s AI survey response analysis help surface themes and summarize insights instantly. You don’t need to dread reading through endless open-ends, because AI helps you interpret everything efficiently.

Automated follow-up questions are a new approach—a good reason to try building a survey and see the experience for yourself.

Prompts for ChatGPT or other GPTs: How to come up with the best survey questions?

If you want to use ChatGPT or similar AI to generate strong survey questions, start simple but add context. Here’s the basic prompt for your needs:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for Ex-Cult Member survey about Peer Support Group Needs.

The more context you give AI about your project, the better results you'll get. Tell it who you are, your goals, or even what outcomes matter most. For example:

I’m designing a peer support program for ex-cult members struggling with anxiety and social isolation. Suggest 10 nuanced open-ended questions to uncover their top needs, both practical and emotional.

Next, organize your questions to spot gaps and sharpen focus. Prompt AI like this:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Once you’ve got categories, pick one and dig deeper:

Generate 10 questions for categories like “trust issues in groups” and “resources for starting over.”

This iterative approach leads to richer, sharper surveys—without starting from scratch.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey shifts away from the static forms and endless radio buttons. Instead, it’s an engaging, chat-like experience where questions unfold naturally, with real-time AI follow-ups tailored to each answer. This approach feels personal and supports emotional honesty—crucial when discussing sensitive needs around peer support after cult involvement.

The difference really shows when compared to manual survey building. See this summary:

Why use AI for ex-cult member surveys? The stakes are high: anxiety, reintegration struggles, and emotional barriers are widespread in this group [2][3]. Fast, targeted insight can make the difference between a stale program and a peer support system that truly works. Using an AI survey generator means you tap into best practices, empathy, and efficiency—without becoming a full-time researcher.

Specific delivers the best-in-class experience for building and taking conversational surveys—so feedback goes deep, but feels simple and natural. If you want a step-by-step on how to create your own, check out this guide to creating surveys for ex-cult members.

See this Peer Support Group Needs survey example now

See how powerful conversational AI survey questions can be—build a Peer Support Group Needs survey in seconds, get deep insights, and make your support system truly responsive and understanding. Try it and see authentic engagement in action.