Concordance of self- and observer-rated motivation and pleasure in patients with negative symptoms and healthy controls

This study examined the validity of using a self-rating scale for assessing the motivation and pleasure domain of negative symptoms in the general population by examining the concordance of self- and observer-rated negative symptoms in a healthy sample and by comparing it with a patient sample. The motivation and pleasure domain of negative symptoms was assessed using the observer-rated Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) and the self-rated Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report (MAP-SR). We found 52.9% of the healthy individuals and 46% of the patients to have relatively equal self- and observer-ratings. Despite the absence of extreme discrepancies, 31.4% of the healthy individuals and 14% of the patients rated their negative symptoms as more severe, whereas 15.7% of the healthy individuals and 40% of the patients rated them as less severe than the observers. By using self-ratings in combination with observer-ratings, possible discrepancies can be uncovered, which may be relevant for the successful treatment of negative symptoms.