Schizoaffective disorder is a mental condition that can impact your cognition, emotions, and actions. It can manifest with characteristics found in both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which might encompass experiences such as heightened mood states, depressive episodes, and periods of psychosis. Roughly 1 in 200 individuals experience schizoaffective disorder at some point in their lifetime. Typically, it emerges during early adulthood and displays a higher prevalence among women compared to men.

3 Types of Schizoaffective disorder

· Manic type - This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia and mania at the same time through a period of illness.

· Depressive type - This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia and depression at the same time through a period of illness.

· Mixed type - This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia, depression and mania through a period of illness.

A glimpse of gender differences in Schizophrenia

In the realm of schizophrenia patients, a distinction emerges in terms of gender-related symptomatology. Males face an elevated likelihood of encountering pronounced negative symptoms, while females tend to exhibit a greater prevalence of affective symptoms. These encompass an array of experiences like depression, impulsive behaviors, emotional instability, instances of sexual misconduct, and sexual delusions. Notably, cognitive functionality diverges along gender lines as well. Female patients tend to demonstrate superior performance in areas such as executive function, verbal memory, and information processing speed, as evidenced by various assessments (as illustrated in Figure 1).

(Figure 1: Sex-differences-in-distribution-of-various-symptoms-between-male-and-females-patients.)

Conversely, male patients often surpass their female counterparts in tasks pertaining to visual memory and attention. Paradoxically, male patients also report lower premorbid functioning. These contrasting outcomes may stem from an intricate interplay of biological mechanisms influenced by factors like brain morphology, genetic predisposition, and the protective impacts of estrogen facilitated by gonadal and adrenal hormones. As such, these mechanisms are intricately linked to an individual's gender. Importantly, it's worth acknowledging that similar symptoms can be construed differently based on the gender of the patient. For instance, behaviors like isolation, withdrawal, and avoidance of external interactions might signify a depressive syndrome in female patients grappling with schizophrenia, whereas in male patients, they could indicate negative symptomology. (Shanghai Mental Health Center, 2023)

What are the symptoms of Schizophrenic Disorder?

Schizophrenia is a mental illness which affects the way you think. Symptoms can affect how you cope with day to day life. Symptoms include.

• Hallucinations - You may hear, see, or feel things that aren’t there.
• Delusions - You may believe things that aren’t true.
• Disorganized speech - You may begin to talk quickly or slowly, and the things you say might not make sense to other people. You may switch topics without any obvious link.
• Disorganized behavior - You might struggle to organize your life, or stick to appointments, for example.
• Catatonic behavior - You may feel unable to move or appear to be in daze.
• Negative symptoms - These are symptoms that involve loss of ability and enjoyment in life. They can include the following things.
• Lack of motivation
• Slow movement
• Change in sleep patterns
• Poor grooming or hygiene
• Difficulty in planning and setting goals
• Not saying much
• Changes in body language
• Lack of eye contact
• Reduced range of emotions
• Less interest in socializing or hobbies and activities
• Low sex drive

How is schizoaffective disorder diagnosed?

A psychiatrist will diagnose schizoaffective disorder after a mental health assessment. It might take more than one assessment for the psychiatrist to reach a diagnosis. You may get a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder if you have depressive or manic symptoms with symptoms of schizophrenia.

Psychiatrists will use the following manuals to help to diagnose you:

• International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) produced by the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Selfcare

You can learn to help manage your symptoms by looking after yourself. Self-care is how you take care of your diet, exercise, daily routine, relationships and how you are feeling.

What are peer support and self-management programs?

Peer support and self-management programs might be able to give you information and advice about:

• how medication can be helpful
• help you to notice and manage your symptoms
• how to access mental health support
• how to access other support services
• how to cope with stress and other problems
• what to do in a crisis
• help you to build a social support network
• help you to notice when you are becoming unwell, and
• help you to set personal recovery goals.

What is a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)?

A Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is a plan that you make to help you stay well and achieve what you would like to. The WRAP looks at areas like how you are affected by your illness and what you could do to manage them.

What risk can schizoaffective disorder cause?

The risk of suicide is higher for the first few years after your symptoms start. You can seek treatment early and make a crisis plan. The right treatment can help control your symptoms and help to lower the risk of suicide. You can make a crisis plan yourself or you can ask someone to help you. A crisis plan is a plan of action that you will follow to help with suicidal feelings. Usually a plan will include people, services and activities that can help you.

Conclusion

Schizoaffective Disorder is a complex mental condition that affects cognition, emotions, and behavior, often showcasing traits shared by bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, such as mood fluctuations, depression, and psychosis. It's estimated that about 1 in 200 individuals experience this disorder, with a greater occurrence among women during early adulthood.

Gender differences within schizophrenia highlight that males often grapple with pronounced negative symptoms, while females tend to exhibit affective symptoms like depression, impulsivity, and emotional instability. Cognitive distinctions are also notable, with females excelling in areas such as executive function and verbal memory, while males outperform in visual memory and attention tasks. These differences are influenced by brain structure, genetics, and hormonal effects.

Schizophrenia is characterized by a range of symptoms including hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behavior, and negative symptoms that impair daily life. Diagnosis involves comprehensive psychiatric assessment, and self-care practices, peer support, and self-management programs play vital roles in managing symptoms.

The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) provides a personalized strategy for well-being, while managing suicide risk necessitates early intervention and crisis planning to ensure effective support.

References:

https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/about-mental-illness/learn-more-about-conditions/schizoaffective-disorder

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/schizoaffective-vs-schizophrenia#differences

https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/4/e100823