Schizoaffective disorder is a chronic and serious mental health problem in which a person suffers from a
set of schizophrenia symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations or paranoid thoughts and
symptoms of mood disorder, such as mood swings, depression or mania.
There are two types of schizoaffective disorder; bipolar
type and depressive type. Each of which includes some symptoms of
schizophrenia.
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| What is schizoaffective disorder? - Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorder. |
What is Schizoaffective Disorder and What is the Main Difference between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder?
What is Schizoaffective
Disorder?
Schizoaffective disorder is a condition in which a person suffers from a set of symptoms of
schizophrenia,
It is worth noting that many people who have schizophrenia
are wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression earlier.
Psychiatrists are not really aware that schizoaffective disorder is primarily related to schizophrenia or mood disorder, but they see
it and treat it as a combination of both conditions.
Males tend to get develop schizoaffective disorder slightly earlier than females, and the average age of onset is 18 in men and 25 in women.
The first episode of this disorder usually occurs in puberty, although, rarely,
it is also diagnosed in childhood (under 13 years of age).
Schizoaffective disorder is a chronic mental health condition that is poorly understood or precisely defined and its causes are not well unknown.
Schizoaffective disorder is a chronic mental health condition that is poorly understood or precisely defined and its causes are not well unknown.
Unlike other mental illnesses, schizoaffective disorder is
considered incomprehensible cases. Each case is characterized by a mixture of
different episodes and behaviors that differ from person to person.
Psychotic episodes and mood disorders may appear
simultaneously, or they may appear and disappear mutually.
The course of schizoaffective disorder is usually
characterized by cycles of acute symptoms followed by a period of improvement,
with fewer acute symptoms.
Mood disorder in the case of the schizoaffective disorder has
two types; either in the form of bipolar disorder (Bipolar type) or depression
(Depressive type).
Depressive type schizoaffective disorder is characterized by
episodes of major depression without mania.
Bipolar type schizoaffective disorder is characterized by
major depression and episodes of mania.
Symptoms of Schizoaffective
Disorder
Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder may vary from one person to another. These symptoms
generally appear as sensory hallucinations, meritorious delusions, or even in
the patient's troubled speech and thinking, as well as a separate case of
madness or a series of depression in the context of a prominent functional,
social or occupational dysfunction.
People with this condition have psychotic and schizophrenia
symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, disorganized thoughts and
speech as well as symptoms of mood disorders, including depression and mania.
A depressive episode of the schizoaffective disorder requires
five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Depressed mood.
- The feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
- The lack of pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed.
- Thoughts of death or suicide.
- Changes in weight or appetite.
- Changes in sleep.
- Lack of energy.
- Slowing of movement.
A manic episode of the schizoaffective disorder requires a
period of irritable or elevated mood for at least three of the following symptoms, for at least one week:
- Increased activity or energy.
- Increased self-esteem.
- Increased sense of grandiosity.
- More goal-directed activity.
- Engaging in risky behaviors.
- Racing thoughts.
- Needing less sleep.
- Being easily distracted
- Becoming more talkative.
The general signs and symptoms of schizoaffective disorder
include:
⇨Hallucinations, such as hearing voices or seeing things or
people that are not present.
⇨Delusions or illusions; fixed, false, and idiosyncratic
beliefs.
⇨Major types of depressive episodes.
⇨The possibility of episodes of manic episodes or a sudden
increase in activity and unusual behavior patterns.
⇨Problems with personal hygiene and physical appearance.
⇨Deficiency in the job and social performance.
⇨Paranoid beliefs and ideas.
Causes of Schizoaffective
Disorder
The exact cause of the schizoaffective disorder is not known, but
there are a number of factors that can contribute to its exacerbation,
including the following:
- Genetic factors.
- Brain chemistry and structure.
- Environmental factors.
- Delayed or changed brain development.
- Taking mind-altering drugs.
- Birth defects.
- Exposure to viruses or toxins while in the womb.
Risk Factors
One of the
factors that increase the risk of developing the schizoaffective disorder is a
close relative (blood relative) who suffers from one of the following:
1. Schizophrenia.
2. Bipolar disorder.
3. Clinical depression.
Complications of Schizoaffective
Disorder
People with schizoaffective disorder are at increased risk
of:
- Suicide, suicide attempts, or suicidal thoughts.
- Social isolation.
- Family and personal conflicts.
- Difficulty staying on a treatment regimen.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Manic and depressive behaviors.
- Excess drug abuse and alcohol consumption.
- Major health problems.
- Unemployment.
- Poverty and displacement.
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| Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorder. |
What is the Main Difference between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder?
Schizophrenia
is defined as a chronic psychiatric disorder in which a person interprets
reality abnormally. Schizophrenia causes hallucinations, delusions, and
problems with concentration, thinking, and feelings of expression, as well as
the loss of motivation, which negatively affects the life of the person.
The schizoaffective disorder is a psychological diagnosis of
a neurologically disturbing nature that describes a mental health condition
including schizophrenia and mood disorder symptoms.
In schizophrenia, symptoms begin in the early 20s including
hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts, and speech and simple flat
affect.
In schizoaffective disorder, symptoms may also begin in the
early 20s such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, flat affect
but with along mood disorders (depression or mania).
People with schizophrenia may experience episodes of mood,
but the overall duration of mood symptoms is brief compared to the duration of
psychotic symptoms.
While people with schizoaffective disorder are more likely to
experience severe mood symptoms for more than half of the total duration of the
disease.
The psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia tend to be persistent
or prominent parts of the condition.
While psychotic symptoms of the schizoaffective disorder tend to
come and go and the schizoaffective disorder usually has episodes of psychotic
symptoms.
In schizophrenia, the psychotic symptoms are almost always
present, but mood symptoms come and go and mood symptoms are not expected to
occur without psychotic symptoms.
When people with the schizoaffective disorder experience
depression or mania, the psychotic symptoms may or may not be present over a
period of time.
Read more about schizophrenia in detail:
Tags
bipolar disorder
clinical psychology
major depressive episode
manic depressive psychosis
mental health
psychology
schizoaffective disorder
schizophrenia