Schizoaffective disorder

Patients who will develop schizoaffective disorder probably have certain difficulties in multiple developmental and achievement areas long before onset of illness. These findings parallel behavior seen in axis II illnesses such as avoidant, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders. In time, these can lead to anxiety and depression symptoms on a continuum, the severity of which can be hypothetically determined by rate of progression of symptoms and the presence of stressors in the process.

However, screening of the entire population would not be feasible, owing to the low incidence of the illness. Identification of schizoaffective disorder is impeded by many factors, including misdiagnosis, patients with substance-induced psychosis, and postponement of the diagnosis, even though the diagnosis criteria are present. Even when the condition is diagnosed, a greater challenge is nonadherence in a patient population with diminished insight.