Negative symptoms are so called because they describe thoughts or behaviour that a person used to have, before they developed schizophrenia, but now no longer have (or have to a lesser extent).[Living with schizophrenia, 2019; Mitra et al., 2016] Essentially, negative symptoms are normal aspects of a person’s behaviour that patients with schizophrenia no longer experience.[Living with schizophrenia, 2019; Mitra et al., 2016] There are eight symptoms that are collectively called ‘negative symptoms’:[Living with schizophrenia, 2019]
1. Apathy
2. Absent, blunted or incongruous emotional responses
3. Reductions in speech
4. Social withdrawal
5. Impaired attention
6. Anhedonia
7. Sexual problems
8. Lethargy
Reference:
Living with schizophrenia – negative symptoms of schizophrenia: understanding them. Available at: https://www.livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-sheets/negative-symptoms-understanding/. Accessed May 2019.
Mitra S, Mahintamani T, Kavoor AR, Nizamie SH. Negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Ind Psychiatry J 2016; 25 (2): 135–144.