Psychosis refers to symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and speech, and bizarre and inappropriate motor behavior (including catatonia) that indicate loss of contact with reality.
Doctors consider schizoaffective disorder when people have both psychosis and mood symptoms (such as depression or mania). The mood symptoms should be present for more than half of the total duration of illness and occur with two or more of the following symptoms of schizophrenia:
For doctors to differentiate schizoaffective disorder from schizophrenia and mood disorders, they may need to do a long-term assessment of the person's symptoms and the nature of their progression.
Treatment
Because schizoaffective disorder often leads to long-term disability, people often require comprehensive treatment, including antipsychotic drugs, psychotherapy, and community support.
