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Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS)

Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) Test

Assess negative symptom severity and daily impact in schizophrenia in about 3 minutes. With 13 items, it delivers a clear, reliable snapshot to guide care and track change fast.

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Questions: 133 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26182 views

2277 completions

1989 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

15/30

Expressive Deficit (ED)

Expressive Deficit measures reduced emotional expression and speech output by summing blunted affect and alogia severity.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 10: Low | 11 – 20: Moderate | 21 – 30: High

A score of 15 falls in the Moderate range, indicating a noticeable reduction in emotional expressiveness and speech activity compared with typical levels.

example score

20/42

Apathy-Avolition Domain (AD)

Measures the severity of apathy/abulia and social withdrawal by combining anhedonia, volitional impairment, and social withdrawal symptoms.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 13: Low | 14 – 27: Moderate | 28 – 42: High

A score of 20 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not highest level of apathy/abulia and social withdrawal-related difficulties in daily functioning.

example score

7/12

Alogia (A)

Assesses the degree of reduced amount and spontaneity of speech (alogia) as a negative symptom.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 4: Low | 5 – 8: Moderate | 9 – 12: High

A score of 7 falls in the Moderate range, indicating a noticeable reduction in speech quantity and spontaneity compared with typical functioning.

example score

11/18

Blunted Affect (BA)

Assesses reduction in emotional expression as reflected in facial expression, speech, and gestures.

Minimal

Moderate

Marked

0 – 6: Minimal | 7 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 18: Marked

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable reduction in emotional expressiveness across observable channels.

example score

6/12

Avolition (A)

Measures reduced initiative and difficulty carrying out intentions as part of negative symptoms.

Low impairment

Moderate impairment

High impairment

0 – 4: Low impairment | 5 – 8: Moderate impairment | 9 – 12: High impairment

A score of 6 falls in the Moderate impairment range, suggesting noticeable difficulties with initiating and following through on intended actions.

example score

5/12

Asociality (A)

Assesses the extent of social isolation and reduced engagement with others associated with negative symptoms.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 3: Low | 4 – 8: Moderate | 9 – 12: High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable but not severe social withdrawal and some difficulty sustaining social interactions.

example score

4/6

Distress (D)

Measures the degree of internal distress associated with negative symptoms, with higher scores indicating greater distress.

Low distress

Moderate distress

High distress

0 – 1: Low distress | 2 – 3: Moderate distress | 4 – 6: High distress

A score of 4 indicates a high level of internal distress associated with negative symptoms.

example score

8/18

Anhedonia (A)

Assesses reduced ability to experience pleasure, including frequency of enjoyment and anticipation of rewarding activities.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 6: Low | 7 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 18: High

A score of 8 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable reduction in pleasure and/or anticipation compared with typical functioning.

example score

22/78

Total Score (TS)

The BNSS Total Score summarizes the overall severity of negative symptoms and their impact on functioning.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 26: Low | 27 – 52: Moderate | 53 – 78: High

A total score of 22 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively mild overall negative symptom severity on this scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Clinicians treating schizophrenia

46%OF USERS

Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists use it to quickly rate negative symptom severity and track response to treatment over time.

Research and trial teams

32%OF USERS

Researchers and study coordinators administer it to quantify negative symptoms consistently for baseline and follow-up measurements.

Early psychosis services

22%OF USERS

Teams working with first-episode or high-risk patients use it to detect motivational and social functioning deficits that may affect recovery.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Expressive Deficit (ED)

Average

11.2

Normal range

6.7 — 15.7

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Apato-abulic domain (Ad)

Average

30.1

Normal range

22.7 — 37.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Alogia (A)

Average

4.7

Normal range

3.2 — 6.3

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Blunted Affect (BA)

Average

Normal range

3.3 — 8.6

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Volitional Disorders (VD)

Average

3.8

Normal range

1.7 — 5.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Social Withdrawal (SW)

Average

7.6

Normal range

6 — 9.2

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Experiencing distress (Ed)

Average

2.4

Normal range

1.5 — 3.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Anhedonia (A)

Average

7.8

Normal range

5.5 — 10

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Total Score (TS)

Average

45.1

Normal range

33.4 — 56.7

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this scale measure?

It rates the severity of negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia. It focuses on reduced motivation, diminished emotional expression, and reduced social engagement.

How long does it take to complete?

Administration typically takes about 3 minutes. Timing may vary slightly based on response length.

How many questions are included?

The scale includes 13 scored items. Each item targets a specific aspect of negative symptoms.

Who should administer this scale?

It is intended for use by trained clinicians or qualified research staff. Consistent administration improves comparability over time.

How should responses be given?

Responses are based on brief, direct questions about recent experiences and daily functioning. If an item is unclear, the administrator may restate it using neutral wording.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) Test

psychopathology schizophrenia

This measure is used to quantify the severity of negative symptoms commonly observed in schizophrenia spectrum conditions. The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) provides a structured approach to rating symptom intensity and related functional impact.

It consists of 13 items and is typically completed in about 3 minutes. Ratings are based on standardized prompts and clinical judgment to support symptom monitoring over time in both clinical and research contexts (Kirkpatrick; Fenton).

The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) is intended to support efficient documentation of core negative symptom domains and to facilitate comparison across visits or study time points.

Author: Brian Kirkpatrick, William S. Fenton

Literature: Andreasen, N. C. Scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS). University of Iowa. 1983.; Kirkpatrick, B., Strauss, G. P., Nguyen, L., Fischer, B. A., Daniel, D. G., Cienfuegos, A., & Marder, S. R. The brief negative symptom scale: psychometric properties. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2011.

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