Schizoaffective Disorder
Clinical Description
Schizoaffective Disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a major mood episode (either manic or depressive) that co-occurs at the same time with active-phase symptoms of schizophrenia.
Symptoms (Diagnostic Criteria)
- Uninterrupted period of illness and a mood episode (major depressive or manic) concurrent with the symptoms (Criterion A) of Schizophrenia.
- Episodes of depression or mania are present for the majority of the total duration of the illness.
Psychotic Symptoms:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech
- Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
Depressive Symptoms:
- Depressed mood
- Anhedonia
- Changes in weight and appetite
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Psychomotor disturbance
- Fatigue
- Impaired concentration or indecisiveness
- Feeling worthless or excessive/inappropriate guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Manic Symptoms:
- Inflated self-esteem
- Decreased need for sleep
- More talkative than usual
- Flight of ideas
- Distractibility
- Increased goal-directed activity and psychomotor agitation
- Risk-taking activities
Negative Symptoms:
- Flat affect: Lack of emotional response or expression
- Avolition: Lack of motivation or interest in self-initiated purposeful activities (apathy)
- Anhedonia: Decreased ability to experience pleasure
- Asociality: Lack of interest in social interactions, activities, or relationships
- Alogia: Diminished speech output, or slow or delayed responses
- Anergia: Continual feeling of tiredness, lack of energy, or sleepiness
- Attention impairment
Duration
- Delusions or hallucinations have been present for 2 weeks in the absence of a major mood episode (depressive or manic) during the lifetime duration of the illness.
Age Onset and Age Requirement
- Typically emerge in late teens or early adulthood.
Treatments
- Medication: Antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers.
- Psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), individual psychotherapy, social skills training.
- Psychosocial support: Family interventions, vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, self-help groups.
- Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)