Schizoaffective Disorder

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Schizoaffective Disorder Diagnosis & Tests

• psychological evaluation for identification of symptoms
• history of current behavior and symptoms

The combination of psychotic and affective symptoms seen in schizoaffective disorder can be seen in other illnesses, particularly in episodes of bipolar disorder with psychotic features. In these illnesses, as well as in schizoaffective disorder, the mood disturbance is a prominent part of the illness.

However, in schizoaffective disorder, the psychotic symptoms do not necessarily remit with effective treatment of the mood symptoms as they do in mood disorders with psychotic features. Also, they usually persist for at least two weeks without symptoms of mania or major depression.

Any medical, psychiatric, or drug related condition that causes psychotic or mood symptoms must be considered. Patients undergoing treatment with steroids, abusers of cocaine, amphetamines and phencyclidine (PCP), and some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy are particularly likely to have concurrent schizophrenic and mood disorder symptoms.