Schizoaffective disorder is a psychotic disorder with features of a mood disorder. If you experience classic symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions, and experience episodes of mania or depression, you may suffer from schizoaffective disorder.
Schizoaffective disorder is a chronic mental health disorder that affects less than a million estimated adults in the United States. There are two main categories of schizoaffective disorder into which patients fall:
In addition to psychotic symptoms, individuals with bipolar schizoaffective disorder may experience manic episodes and depressive episodes. Manic episodes can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks and are characterized by elevated mood, intense energy, impulsive thoughts, and other extreme behaviors.
Individuals with depressive schizoaffective disorder only experience depressive episodes in addition to psychotic symptoms. Depressive episodes typically last several months to a year and are characterized by:
It is often difficult to tell the difference between schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia due to overlapping symptoms. The main difference is that with schizoaffective disorder, a mood disorder is prominent.
Although the direct cause of schizoaffective disorder has not yet been determined, many researchers speculate that the disorder is caused by a combination of biological and genetic factors. Many scientists believe the schizoaffective disorder is a variant of schizophrenia or several other disorders.
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The overall symptoms of schizoaffective disorder can be divided into four main categories:
Positive symptoms are characterized by altered perceptions and abnormal thinking. These symptoms include:
Negative symptoms experienced by individuals with the schizoaffective disorder include:
Symptoms may consist of excessive happiness, restlessness, rapid speech, impulsive behavior, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, distraction, overconfidence, and drug abuse.
Symptoms may consist of sadness, feelings of hopelessness, lack of interest in things an individual once liked, uncontrollable crying, trouble making decisions, appetite changes, and thoughts of death or suicide.
The schizoaffective disorder most commonly develops in individuals from their late teens to early adulthood and is rare in children. Women are more likely to develop the schizoaffective disorder than men.
It is often difficult to diagnose schizoaffective disorder because those affected by the illness are often unaware that they are suffering from it. Schizoaffective disorder is diagnosed based on psychiatric criteria and a thorough medical evaluation to rule out other causes. Talking to family or close friends may also help distinguish the schizoaffective disorder from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychiatric disorders involving changes in behavior, thinking, and mood.
If you or someone you know has one or more symptoms of schizoaffective disorder, the first step in diagnosis is an evaluation by a medical professional, preferably a psychiatrist. Tell your doctor what symptoms you have noticed, and ask them for guidance on what to do next. After evaluating your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may order neuroimaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT), to rule out other conditions that may mimic symptoms of schizoaffective disorder.
There are numerous resources to help manage symptoms of schizoaffective disorder. Treatment for schizoaffective disorder involves medication and psychosocial therapy.
Although there is no direct cure for schizoaffective disorder, research has led to safer, more innovative treatments, which can greatly improve the quality of life. If you believe someone you love or know may suffer from schizoaffective disorder, alert them of your concerns immediately. Seek medical attention from a medical professional at TeleMed2U and consult virtually with a specialized psychiatrist, all from the comfort of your home.
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Dr Roy Kedem started his premedical studies at Harvard, and research in genetics and gene sequencing at Harvard, Beth Israel. He attended medical school in the UK at the Cambridge Overseas Medical Program in 1998. Dr Kedem then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in Stamford, Connecticut and his fellowship in Hospital Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.
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