Psychiatria pre prax 2/2021

Practical procedure for evaluation and solution of negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Current concepts of negative symptoms (NS) of schizophrenia are less skeptical about opportunities for their therapeutic management, acknowledging that the dimension is more dynamic and more amenable to change in a larger proportion of patients than previously thought. However, early identification and timely therapeutic interventions are important prerequisites. More recently, specific procedures aimed on social cognition, metacognition, and mentalization have demonstrated effectiveness, but positive reports of the effectiveness of commonly available options for every patient are more important for common clinical practice. The effectiveness of psychoeducation, physical activity, music therapy, restoration of the regular regime of the day, training of social skills were confirmed. The availability of the first antipsychotic with a proven effect on NS in a large number of patients even moreover in long-term follow-up and in comparison with the active comparators is a significant positive option change in the pharmacotherapy of NS.

Keywords: negative symptoms, alogia, anhedonia, asociality, avolition, blunted affect