Inpatients with schizophrenia report impaired situational motivation but intact global and social motivation

It is well established that individuals with schizophrenia are less active and engaged than healthy control subjects, and motivation deficits are considered a core symptom of the disease. However, it remains unclear if schizophrenia individuals perceive themselves as less motivated than others, and there is a scarcity in research examining the relationship between perceived motivation, psychopathology and personality traits. Eighty-six inpatients with schizophrenia and 45 non-patient control participants completed the Motivation and Energy Inventory, which consists of Global Motivation, Social Motivation and Situational Motivation (the motivation individuals experience when they are engaging in an activity). Participants also completed personality questionnaires and an affective evocative task. Compared to controls, schizophrenia participants reported lower situational motivation, and comparable global and social motivation. Situational motivation was negatively predicted by negative temperament, affective ambivalence and depression level. Our results are consistent with the idea that schizophrenia individuals are not impaired in their motivational disposition but lack energy during the implementation of their goals. This may reflect impairment in the prediction, maintenance and/or modulation of required effort and energy during goal-directed actions, and is predicted by some affective processes. Improving situational motivation may be an effective therapeutic approach in people with schizophrenia.