The interrelationships of motivation, positive symptoms, stigma, and role functioning in early psychosis

Avolition, or the lack of motivation, has consistently been shown to be a significant predictor of poor psychosocial outcome, with decreased overall motivation as the single strongest predictor of poor work or school outcome in first episode psychosis. This study aimed to better understand the ways in which motivation impacts work and school functioning. This study first examined the factors related to motivation in people recovering from a recent onset of psychosis, then explored the unique interrelationships between positive symptoms, stigma, and motivation and how they influence role functioning.

A total of 40 participants with early psychosis were recruited for this cross-sectional design study; with a mean of 14.5 months of treatment prior to study assessment.

Neither experienced nor internalized stigma were related to motivation in this sample, but internalized stigma was related to work and school functioning. Positive symptoms were significantly inversely related to both work and school functioning and motivation, with mediation analyses showing that motivation significantly mediates the relationship between positive symptoms and role functioning.

This relationship may shed light on the link between motivational deficits and work and school outcomes early in the course of psychosis, an area of critical importance for early intervention.