Schizoaffective is a disorder with psychotic features just like schizophrenia. The difference here it is accompanies a mood disorder like depression or bipolar.
A Schizoaffective disorder diagnoses is a mental illness that is even less common than schizophrenia. At approximately 0.5% of the world population suffering.
- Symptoms: Schizoaffective disorder is marked by a combination of psychotic symptoms and mood disorder symptoms. The psychotic symptoms may include hallucinations (perceiving things that aren’t real) and delusions (false beliefs). Mood disorder symptoms can manifest as episodes of mania, depression, or a mix of both (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
- Types: Schizoaffective disorder is classified into two main types:
Bipolar type: Characterized by episodes of mania and depressive episodes.
Depressive type: Characterized by depressive episodes only (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). - Diagnosis: Diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder requires the presence of uninterrupted periods of illness during which a major mood episode (depressive or manic) coincides with psychotic symptoms. The diagnosis is made based on a thorough psychiatric evaluation, symptom assessment, and exclusion of other possible causes (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
- Prevalence: The prevalence of schizoaffective disorder is lower compared to schizophrenia or mood disorders alone. Studies estimate the prevalence to be around 0.3% to 0.5% of the general population (Perälä et al., 2007).
- Causes: The exact cause of schizoaffective disorder is not known, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors. There may be a genetic predisposition, and certain brain abnormalities and neurotransmitter imbalances have been observed (Cardno et al., 2012; Wingo et al., 2017).
- Treatment: Treatment for schizoaffective disorder typically involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed to manage psychotic symptoms, while mood stabilizers or antidepressants may be used to address mood symptoms. Psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), can help individuals manage their symptoms, cope with stress, and improve their overall functioning (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2020).
- Prognosis: The long-term prognosis of schizoaffective disorder varies among individuals. With appropriate treatment and support, many people with schizoaffective disorder can experience significant improvement in their symptoms and overall quality of life. However, ongoing management and regular follow-up are important for maintaining stability and preventing relapses (Perälä et al., 2007).
Schizoaffective is more difficult to treat with psychiatric medications. They combine different medications to alleviate symptoms.
Let’s take a look at the medications used for schizoaffective disorder.
Antipsychotics for
Schizoaffective Disorder
Antipsychotic medications are prescribed for psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. They are also used for people with autism.
They work on chemicals in the brain that can affect psychosis, such as serotonin and dopamine.
These medications take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for symptoms like hallucinations and delusions to improve.
Typical or first-generation Antipsychotics include:
Chlorpromazine / Thorazine
Haloperidol / Haldol
Perphenazine / Trilafon
Fluphenazine / Prolixin
Atypical or second-generation antipsychotics are newer and thought to cause fewer side effects. These include:
Aripiprazole / Abilify
Risperidone / Risperdal
Clozapine / Clozaril
Olanzapine / Zyprexa
Paliperidone / Invega Sustenna
Quetiapine / Seroquel
Brexpiprazole / Rexulti
Cariprazine / Vyralar
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Some Side effect profiles for antipsychotic medications include:
Blurred Vision
Vomiting
Nausea
Dizziness
Dry Mouth
Akathisia/Restlessness
Seizures
Constipation
Weight Gain
Tardive Dyskinesia
Sexual Problems
Low Blood Pressure
Low White Blood Cell Count
SSRI’s for
Schizoaffective Disorder
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. The work on the brain inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is thought to increase levels of serotonin in the brain. This neurotransmitter is involved with happiness and mood.
SSRI’s include:
fluoxetine / Prozac
sertraline / Zoloft
citalopram / Celexa
escitalopram / Lexapro
paroxetine / Paxil
fluvoxamine / Luvox
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Common side effects of SSRIs include nausea, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, akathisia, restlessness, tremors, and shaky limbs, as well as sexual problems.
Mood Stabilizers
for Schizoaffective Disorder
These medications are prescribed to people suffering from mood swings, very high, euphoric moods, to dropping down to low depressed moods.
Mood stabilizers treat mania, hypo-mania, and/or depression.
All mood stabilizers work for different affected moods. As lithium helps with mania, and Lamictal helps get rid of the depressive side of disorders like bipolar II.
Some mood stabilizers include:
Lithium
Depakote
Lamictal
Tegretol
Depakene
Latuda
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Some side effects may occur when starting a mood stabilizer. These may include losing your hair, rashes on your skin, nausea, weight gain, tremors, liver damage, kidney damage, sexual problems, diarrhea, and more.
You can also speak to a practitioner at mytelemedicine.com. They are there to assist you in your time of need.
Also, you can read this article about the use of Anti-psychotic Management of Schizoaffective Disorder.
It is crucial for individuals with schizoaffective disorder to work closely with mental health professionals to develop an individualized treatment plan and receive ongoing support.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Cardno, A. G., & Owen, M. J. (2014). Genetic relationships between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 40(3), 504-515.
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2020). Schizoaffective Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Schizoaffective-Disorder
Perälä, J., Suvisaari, J., Saarni, S. I., Kuoppasalmi, K., Isometsä, E., Pirkola, S., … & Lönnqvist, J. (2007). Lifetime prevalence of psychotic and bipolar I disorders in a
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