Schizoaffective disorder includes elements of mood disorder as well as psychosis (MedlinePlus, 2004). Symptoms resembling mood disorder include a very low or a very high mood, sleep disturbances, changes in energy level, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, and poor function in daily life. Psychotic symptoms may included a loss of contact with reality, visual and/or auditory hallucinations, and delusions. To be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a person must have psychotic symptoms but normal mood for at least two weeks.
The exact cause of schizoaffective disorder is unknown, but the same factors that cause the development of psychosis and mood disorder may play a role (MedLinePlus, 2004). These factors include a strong genetic predisposition and other biochemical factors. Schizoaffective disorder is less common than schizophrenia or mood disorders, but its exact frequency of occurrence is not known. Women tend to be affected more than women, but it is rare in children (MedlinePlus, 2004; National, 2005).
The signs and symptoms of schizoaffective disorder include all those of mood disorder and psychosis, which may appear simultaneously or in an alternating pattern (MedLinePlus, 2004). The disorder usually follows a cyclic course of worsening symptoms followed by periods of improvement. Symptoms vary greatly from one patient to the next, but symptoms of clinical depression and mania include elevated, inflated or depressed mood; irritability and poor temper control; and symptoms usually seen in depressed or manic states such as sleep disturbances, appetite changes and changes in energy levels. Psychotic symptoms which last for at least two weeks without significant mood symptoms include auditory and visual hallucinations; delusions of reference; paranoia; lessening of concern for personal care; and disorganized, illogical speech.
The symptoms of schizoaffective disorder are a mixture of two ma...