Schizoaffective Disorder

It is a is a major psychiatric disorder that is alike to schizophrenia. Thus it is mental disorder which is chronic, one of the most frequently seen disease. Schizoafective disorders is seen by a mixture of schizophrenia and affective ( which refers to mood) disorder. There are some outgoing controversies about the classification whether it is a type of schizophrenia or a type of mood disorder. However today it is widely accepted that schizoaffective disorder is a type of schizophrenia. There is a lack of epidemiologic data. Researchers in this field estimates that the incidence of this disease may vary from 2000-5000 people and also may be responsible from one fourth the patients who are suffering form schizophrenia.

Schizoaffective disorder is similar to schizophrenia in that the patient must meet Criterion A. The key distinction is that at some time during the illness the patient with schizoaffective disorder must also have all of the following:

• a major depressive episode, manic episode, or mixed episode
• delusions or hallucinations for at least 2 weeks in the absence of prominent mood symptoms
• symptoms of a mood episode during a substantial portion of the active and residual periods of the illness

What is major depressive episode?

The presence of five or more specific symptoms of depression including depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure that are present during the same 2-week period and that are distinct from the person’s previous functioning.

What is manic episode?

A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood that lasts at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary), and that includes three or more of a variety of symptoms ( e.g., inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, flight of ideas, or distractability).

What is mixed episode?

The criteria for both a manic episode and a major depressive episode are met nearly every day during at least a 1-week period.