Negative symptoms
Negative symptoms include reduced emotional expression (flat affect), decreased motivation (avolition), and reduced spontaneous speech (poverty of speech, alogia). Individuals with this condition lack interest and spontaneity, and have the inability to feel pleasure (anhedonia).
Psychosis in adolescents
Psychosis is rare in adolescents. Young people who have psychosis may have trouble connecting with the world around them and may experience hallucinations and/or delusions. Adolescents with psychosis may also have cognitive deficits that may make it harder for the youth to socialize and work. Potential impairments include the speed of mental processing, ability to focus without getting distracted (limited attention span), and deficits in verbal memory. If an adolescent is experiencing psychosis, they most likely have comorbidity meaning they could have multiple mental illnesses. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine if it is psychosis or autism spectrum disorder, social or generalized anxiety disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.