Schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition that combines symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders. People with this disorder experience both psychotic symptoms and mood episodes.

Symptoms

Schizoaffective disorder has two main types of symptoms:

Psychotic symptoms (like in schizophrenia):

• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there)
• Delusions (false beliefs)
• Disorganized thinking

Mood symptoms:

• Depression (feeling very sad or hopeless)
• Mania (feeling extremely happy or irritable)

Psychotic symptoms must be present without mood symptoms for at least 2 weeks.

Types

There are two main types of schizoaffective disorder:

• Bipolar type: includes manic episodes
• Depressive type: includes only major depressive episodes

Causes

The exact cause is unknown, but factors that may contribute include:

• Genetics
• Brain chemistry
• Stress
• Drug use
• Spiritual trials

Diagnosis

Schizoaffective disorder is diagnosed by a special doctor called a psychiatrist. Diagnosis is based on:

• Symptoms reported by the patient
• Observation of the patient's behavior
• Medical and psychiatric history
• Test to rule out other conditions

Treatment

Treatment usually involves medications such as antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants. Psychotherapy (talk therapy), and social support and education are also treatments.