User:Mr. Ibrahem/Schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder (SZA, SZD) is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood disorder. Symptoms may include hearing or seeing things that are not there, strongly held false beliefs, disorganized thinking, depressed mood, or mania. Complications may include anxiety disorders, substance use, and suicide.

Risk factors including genetics, social factors, emotional trauma, and psychological stress. The underlying mechanism is unclear, though dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin may be involved. Diagnosis require symptoms to be present for at least a month, with at least two weeks of psychosis without mood problems. There are two types bipolar type, with symptoms of mania; and depressive type, with symptoms of depression only. Other disorders that may present similarly include psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Treatment is with some combination of counselling, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants. Hospitalization may be necessary if a person is at risk to themselves or others. Electroconvulsive therapy may be used in resistant cases. It affects about 0.3% of the population at some point in time. The onset is usually in early adulthood. It was initially included in the DSM-I in 1952 as a subtype of schizophrenia.