Schizoaffective Disorder Schizoaffective disorder is one of the most confusing and controversial diagnostic categories in psychiatry. Bipolar type is associated with the presence of manic or mixed episodes. Such episodes bring on sudden elation, euphoria, or extreme irritability to the point of serious impairment.
Depressive type is associated with major depressive episodes.
Depressive episodes are often characterized by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or indifference, and inability to concentrate or remember details, and thoughts of death or suicide attempts. Like schizophrenia and affective disorders, schizoaffective disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain's neurotransmitters. Since schizoaffective disorder bears a close resemblance to both schizophrenia and affective disorders, people with the illness experience a combination of symptoms associated with both diseases. To be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder a person must not meet the criteria for either schizophrenia or affective disorder. However, a person must have at one time experienced both a schizophrenic and a mood disturbance and, at another time, experienced psychotic symptoms without affective symptoms.