Chinese experts consensus on the management of negative symptoms of schizophrenia (2026)

Negative symptoms represent one of the core manifestations of schizophrenia, persisting throughout the disease course and significantly impairing patients’ social functioning and long-term prognosis. However, these symptoms have frequently been overlooked in past clinical practice. Under the guidance of the steering committee, this expert consensus was formed by integrating domestic and international evidence-based medical evidence after repeated discussions by 28 psychiatric experts and 2 rounds of anonymous modified Delphi surveys. Ultimately, 11 consensus recommendations in the management of negative symptoms of schizophrenia were established. The recommendations cover the identification of risk factors of primary and secondary negative symptoms, standardized scale assessment and operational diagnostic criteria, pharmacological treatment strategies (including second-generation antipsychotics, novel muscarinic cholinergic agent and antidepressants augmentation strategy), neuromodulation interventions, and psychosocial interventions. This consensus aims to update the diagnostic and therapeutic concepts regarding negative symptoms among psychiatrists in China and standardize clinical practice, thereby promoting patients’ functional recovery and improving their quality of life.