Schizoaffective Disorder is a chronic mental health condition featuring symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking) alongside significant mood disorder symptoms (depression or mania).
Key Points:
- Subtypes:
- Depressive Type: Co-occurring symptoms of major depression.
- Bipolar Type: Co-occurring episodes of mania or hypomania.
- Differentiation: Unlike bipolar or major depressive disorder with psychotic features, psychotic symptoms in schizoaffective disorder can appear independently of mood episodes.
- Treatment: Often involves a combination of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers or antidepressants (depending on subtype), psychotherapy, and psychosocial support.
