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Schizoaffective disorder

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Definition:

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental condition that causes both psychosis and mood problems.

Psychosis means a person has a loss of contact with reality and may have hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things that are not present) and delusions (false, fixed beliefs). Mood disorder problems may include a very bad or very good mood with sleep disturbances, changes in energy and appetite, disrupted concentration, and poor daily function.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The exact cause of schizoaffective disorder is unknown. Genetics and body chemistry may play a role.  

Schizoaffective disorder is believed to be less common than schizophrenia and mood disorders. Women may have the condition more often than men. While mood disorders are relatively common in children, a full syndrome of schizophrenia is not. Therefore schizoaffective disorder tends to be rare in children.

References:

Moore DP, Jefferson JW. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry . 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:126-127.

Goetz, CG. Textbook of Clinical Neurology . 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2003: 48.

• Review Date: 5/8/2006
• Reviewed By: Paul Ballas, D.O., Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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