Psychosis and schizophrenia
Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS)
Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) — administration and scoring reference.
Reference information · Official-form reference
- Last content update
- 2026-10-26
- Clinical review
- Not independently reviewed
- Source jurisdiction
- See individual sources
- Coverage
- Official-form reference
| Field | Instrument context |
|---|---|
| Version | SANS; clinician-rated negative-symptom domains |
| Respondent | Clinician |
| Purpose | Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) — administration and scoring reference. |
Administration
Rate the selected SANS edition after interview and observation. Consider depression, medication effects, psychosis and environmental deprivation when interpreting reduced activity or expression.
Scoring method
Item and global domain ratings; domain selection and aggregation require manual.
Interpretation & limitations
- Report domain ratings and specify the aggregation convention used. Negative-symptom burden is not equivalent to a schizophrenia diagnosis.
- Interpret the findings alongside the clinical interview, functioning, history and relevant physical assessment.
- Global and individual item summaries are not interchangeable. Historical SANS domains do not map perfectly to newer negative-symptom models.
- Use the original instrument and manual for item wording, rating anchors, missing-data rules and any normative conversions. This reference does not establish a diagnosis or select treatment.