Psychiatria pre prax 4/2020

Obstacles in the treatment of the schizoaffective disorder

Despite a clear recognition of patients with co-morbid psychotic and mood symptoms, many authors agree that the accurate diagnostic procedure and proper treatment of patients with schizoaffective disorder represent a lingering medical challenge. Although its hallmark is the presence of symptoms of a major mood episode concurrent with symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia, the descriptions of the disorder have varied over time. Other complex tasks symbolize the treatment approach. On the one hand, many psychiatrists prescribe medication for specific target symptoms and do not always rigidly follow diagnostic criteria and drug indications. On the other hand, there has been very little evidence provided from trials that have specifically studied the treatment of schizoaffective disorder. A part of this article is a description of the representative clinical case confirming those obstacles.

Keywords: schizoaffective disorder, diagnosis, treatment, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, paliperidone