Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia Associated with Poorer Outcomes

A novel research tool developed by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has identified a link between the negative symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia and adverse clinical outcomes.

Negative symptoms can include poor motivation, poor eye contact and a reduction in speech and activity. As a result, people with schizophrenia often appear emotionless, flat and apathetic. These contrast with positive symptoms – psychotic behaviors not seen in healthy people, such as delusions or hallucinations.

Published in BMJ Open, the study is the largest- ever to investigate a relationship between negative symptoms and clinical outcomes, drawing from a sample of more than 7,500 patients.

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