Schizophrenia diagnosis is characterized by the presence of positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are evidenced by the exaggeration or the distortion of normal functions (Cagliostro, 2020). The Positive symptoms exhibited include hallucinations and delusions (The National Health Service (NHS), 2019). Hallucinations are defined as hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling non-existent things (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). Delusions involve holding strong convictions of beliefs that are not anchored on reality (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). Negative symptoms refer to the inhibition of normal human functioning in terms of behavior, perception, and thinking (Cagliostro, 2020). According to the National Health Service (NHS) (2019), some of the negative symptoms are social withdrawal, loss of interest in everyday routines such as bathing, inability to experience pleasure, speech challenges including not talking much, and the failure to show emotions including the lack of facial expressions.
The distinction between schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and mood disorder with psychotic features is quite complicated. Researchers state that there exists a very thin line between these conditions (Kempf et al., 2005). In diagnosis, some key symptoms help make the distinction between the conditions. In schizophrenia, only psychotic symptoms, hallucinations and delusions, are present. The occurrence of mood symptoms in schizophrenic patients is temporal; they come and go (Preda, 2020). The diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is made when both psychotic and mood symptoms are present. The psychotic symptoms must be exhibited for a long duration, several weeks, without any mood symptoms being displayed for a conclusive diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder to be made (Preda, 2020). Depression or mania are the mood symptoms exhibited by patients with schizoaffective disorder. The symptoms used to diagnose mood disorder with psychotic features are primarily mood symptoms, depression, or mania. However, patients with mood disorder with psychotic features may exhibit periods of psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and delusion (Kempf, 2005). Thus, a conclusive diagnosis of mood disorder with psychotic features is only made when mood symptoms are present for a long duration without any psychotic symptoms being displayed.
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Question to Class
What are some of the consequences of misdiagnosis of the three disorders, given the thin lines between their symptoms?
References
Cagliostro, D. (2020). Schizophrenia - Symptoms. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms/
Kempf, L., Hussain, N., & Potash, J. B. (2005). Mood disorder with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia with mood features: Trouble at the borders. International Review of Psychiatry , 17 (1), 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540260500064959
Mayo Clinic. Schizophrenia - Symptoms and causes. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443
Preda, A. (2020). The Difference Between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/schizophrenia-versus-schizoaffective-disorder-2953129#:~:text=In%20schizophrenia%2C%20mood%20symptoms%20are,is%20experiencing%20depression%20or%20mania.
The National Health Service (NHS). (2019). Schizophrenia - Symptoms. Retrieved 15 December 2020, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms/
