Schizoaffective disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a mix of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression, mania, and hypomania. To separate schizoaffective disorder from a depressive or bipolar disorder with psychotic features, delusions or hallucinations must be present for at least 2 weeks in the absence of a major mood episode (mania or depression) at some point during the lifetime duration of the illness. Mood symptoms( periods of depression and mania) must be present for a majority of the illness. A person would be diagnosed with schizophrenia instead if the mood symptoms (periods of depression and mania) were present for a brief period. The symptoms should not be attributable to a substance or medication. The lifetime prevalence of schizoaffective disorder is 0.3%.
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