Discover why Schizoaffective Disorder is difficult to diagnose and why many living with schizoaffective disorder are misdiagosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Some psychiatric disorders are very difficult to diagnose accurately. One of the most confusing psychiatric conditions is schizoaffective disorder. This relatively rare disorder is defined as "the presence of psychotic symptoms in the absence of mood changes for at least two weeks in a patient who has a mood disorder." The diagnosis is used when an individual does not fit diagnostic standards for either schizophrenia or "affective" (mood) disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder (manic depression).

Some people may have symptoms of both a depressive disorder and schizophrenia at the same time, or they may have symptoms of schizophrenia without mood symptoms.

Many individuals living with schizoaffective disorder are originally diagnosed with manic depression. If the person experiences delusions or hallucinations that go away in less than two weeks when the mood is "normal," bipolar disorder may be the proper diagnosis. Someone who experiences psychosis for three or four weeks while in a manic phase does not have schizoaffective disorder. However, if delusions or hallucinations continue after the mood has stabilized and are accompanied by other symptoms of schizophrenia such as catatonia, paranoia, bizarre behavior, or thought disorders, a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder may be appropriate. Accurate diagnosis is easier once the acute psychotic episode is under control.

Distinguishing between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can be particularly difficult in an adolescent, since at that age psychotic features are especially common during manic periods.

Because schizoaffective disorder is so complicated, misdiagnosis is common. Some people may be misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia. Others may be misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. And those diagnosed as having schizoaffective disorder may actually have schizophrenia with prominent mood symptoms. Or they may have a mood disorder with symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia.

How Common Is Schizoaffective Disorder?

About one in every two hundred people (1/2 percent) develops schizoaffective disorder at some time during his or her life. Schizoaffective disorder, along with schizophrenia, is one of the most common serious psychiatric disorders. More hospital beds are occupied by persons with these disorders than any other psychiatric disorder.

next: Causes of Schizoaffective Disorder