Table 1.

Specific Interventions for Negative Symptoms

Negative Symptom Targeted	Intervention Strategy
Reduced daily activity	Use of a blank checklist to illustrate to the therapist and client what was actually being done each day. Discussion of the importance of a daily routine; discussion of the importance of increasing daily activity such that she could develop the initiation and stamina to persist with demand of employment; goal setting to determine appropriate daily activities including: medication regimes, hygiene schedule, household chores, exercise, and a leisure activity; Use of checklists, signs and an alarm to prompt these; Efforts to streamline steps to completing household tasks; initial incentives ($5 gift card to Walmart) for successful goal achievement with house-keeping tasks.
Reduced affective display and emotional range	Identification and processing of thoughts and emotions related to both reaching and failing to reach weekly goals; Practice identifying emotions in role plays with the therapist and in magazine pictures; Practice making specific facial expressions in a mirror.
Reduced social drive	Social skills training to include: making greetings, maintaining conversations, closing conversations, reading and demonstrating non-verbal communication, importance of initiation, and practice in assertive communication; goals set to initiate phone calls to family; goal to attend church and to practice greeting people following service
Reduced interests	Development of leisure skills; goals set to attend church regularly, therapist accompanied her on outings to craft store to select hobby supplies, regular visits to family using public transportation, and daily walking for exercise
Reduced sense of purpose	Identification of both short- and long-term goals; practice breaking down large goals into smaller steps; practice with goal-setting and goal modification when necessary