Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including speech poverty and avolition
Negative symptoms are things a person with schizophrenia loses or stops doing. Speech poverty means speaking very little, and avolition means losing the drive to do everyday tasks.
Real World
A teenager with schizophrenia who previously played football and socialised daily may, due to avolition, spend weeks in bed unable to initiate even basic tasks like showering — behaviour easily mistaken by family for laziness rather than illness.
Exam Focus
Do not confuse avolition with depression; examiners expect you to link it specifically to reduced motivation, not low mood.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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