Negative symptoms and emotions in schizophrenia.

A 32-year-old man, who has suffered from schizophrenia for 12 years, has been rated by five professionals using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. These ratings are compared with samples of the patient's writing, which reflect his emotions. The results suggest that a patient exhibiting moderate negative symptoms may be experiencing feelings that he does not display through either verbal or facial expression.