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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08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
26,192 views
2,284 completions
1,989 likes
Verified by Daniel Hall
Psychologist with 25 years of experience
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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
010Low1120Moderate2130High
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 (AAD)
Measures the severity of apathy/abulia and social withdrawal by combining anhedonia, volitional impairment, and social withdrawal symptoms.
Low
Moderate
High
013Low1427Moderate2842High
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
04Low58Moderate912High
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
06Minimal712Moderate1318Marked
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
04Low impairment58Moderate impairment912High 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
03Low48Moderate912High
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
01Low distress23Moderate distress46High 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
06Low712Moderate1318High
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
026Low2752Moderate5378High
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.
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Recommendations
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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.
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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
6.715.7
min.
0
max.
30
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
22.737.4
min.
0
max.
42
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
3.26.3
min.
0
max.
12
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
6
Normal range
3.38.6
min.
0
max.
18
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
1.75.8
min.
0
max.
12
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
69.2
min.
0
max.
12
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
1.53.4
min.
0
max.
6
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
5.510
min.
0
max.
18
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
33.456.7
min.
0
max.
78
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

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

Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

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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