People with Schizoaffective disorder a “roller-coaster ride of symptoms” (Knowledge Base: Schizoaffective disorder). Schizoaffective disorder is defined as an:

Illness during which the patient has symptoms of both schizophrenia and a major mood disorder at the same time. Major depression, mania, or a mixture or alternation of depressive and manic symptoms must last for at least two weeks along with two of the following, for at least a month: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative schizophrenic symptoms. (Har

The typical age of onset of schizoaffective disorder is early adulthood, during the ages of 16-30 (Facts about Schizoaffective Disorder). Schizoaffective disorder is more prevalent in females than in males (Schizophrenia Schizoaffective Disorder). A person with schizoaffective disorder will have “difficulty in following a moving object with their eyes” and their rapid eye movement begins “unusually early in the night” (Schizophrenia Schizoaffective Disorder). Less than 1 percent of the population has schizoaffective disorder, although schizoaffective and schizophrenia are the two most common serious psychiatric disorders (Facts about Schizoaffective Disorder).

For a patient to be diagnosed Schizoaffective there must be a psychotic period in which symptoms of schizophrenia and affective disorder are present simultaneously. During this period, the full criterion must be met for “schizophrenia and for a major depressive episode, a manic episode, or a mixed episode” (American Psychiatric Association) as set forth by the DSM-IV. The person must experience delusions or hallucinations for at least 1 month during which there must have been at “least 2 weeks” (APA) of only psychotic symptoms with out major affective symptoms. They must also experience a Major Depressive Episode for at “least 2 weeks” (APA), or a manic episode or a mixed episode “for at least a week” (APA). The major depressive episode criterion, generally met by a depressed mood or diminished interest or diminished pleasure, must be upped to a “pervasive depressed mood” (APA) because the standard criterion for a major depressive episode (a depressed mood or diminished interest or diminished pleasure) is extremely “common in a non-affective psychotic disorder” (APA). The affective symptoms must be present for a substantial amount of time of the psychotic period. To by put into the bipolar

Some topics in this essay:
Schizoaffective Disorder, Depressive Episode, Health Letter, Retrieved February, Disorders Society, schizoaffective disorder, Base Schizoaffective, Psychiatric Association, Disorder Mania, Disorder Symptoms, Lambert Gordon, retrieved february, disorder schizoaffective, disorder schizoaffective disorder, schizoaffective disorder schizoaffective, major depressive, depressive episode, retrieved february 19, february 19, major depressive episode, february 19 2003, 19 2003, schizoaffective patients, schizophrenia schizoaffective, harvard mental,