What is schizoaffective disorder?
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health difficulty that has some symptoms of:
- mood disorders (affective) like depression or mania, and
- schizophrenia (psychosis).
You can experience this mix of symptoms at the same time or within a few days of each other.
Like other mental health difficulties, diagnosis can be complicated. As schizoaffective disorder’s symptoms overlap with schizophrenia and other mood disorders, the diagnosis can change. Experts disagree about if schizoaffective disorder is best understood as a type of schizophrenia or a type of mood disorder.
About 1 in 200 people develops schizoaffective disorder at some time during their life. Schizoaffective disorder usually begins between the ages of 16 and 30. More women than men tend to experience schizoaffective disorder.
Types of supports for schizoaffective disorder
The treatment for schizoaffective disorder can include a combination of:
- social supports like family support or group support,
- talking therapies, and
- medication.
Your doctor will be able to help you find the best treatment for you. Go to our recovery page to learn more.
