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Course of schizoaffective psychosis: a retrospective study
Author(s) -
Vega J. M. del Rio,
AyusoGutierrez J. L.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1990.tb05494.x
Subject(s) - schizoaffective disorder , schizophreniform disorder , psychosis , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , personality changes , psychiatry , personality , clinical psychology , social psychology
This study investigated the clinical course and outcome of 72 patients diagnosed as suffering from schizoaffective psychosis according to ICD‐9 criteria who also satisfied RDC criteria for schizoaffective disorder. The results show a clear relationship between patients’ overall functioning and premorbid personality: a better premorbid social adjustment indicates a better current state. Those who met DSM‐III criteria for schizophrenic or schizophreniform disorder had an earlier age of onset and a higher frequency of relapse, followed by schizoaffective and affective patients. Patients who presented interepisodic psychotic symptoms differed from those who did not in that they showed more recurrences, an earlier age of onset and a premorbid personality with poorer social adjustment. The age of onset of the disease was significantly earlier in patients who had hyperthymic episodes. Schizoaffective disorders therefore are a heterogeneous group as regards premorbid personality, DSM‐III diagnosis, and the presence or absence of interepisodic psychotic symptoms and hyperthymic episodes.