Clinical Aspects of the Schizoaffective Disorder in Comparison with Schizophrenia After a 15-year Evolution

Background: Schizoaffective disorder is currently one of the debated nosological categories, nowadays existing more controversial suppositions regarding its ranging.
Aim: The assumption of this study was that schizoaffective disorder is a version of schizophrenic disorder.
Methods: In pursuit of this supposition, two groups of subjects were selected, called group A, which includes subjects diagnosed with current schizoaffective disorder – according to ICD 10 – and group B, who were diagnosed with current schizophrenia. The two groups were relatively analyzed aiming at socio-demographic and clinical parameters at first admission and clinical evolution and global functioning 15 years past the first episode.
Results: The results showed that there are differences on diagnosis at first hospitalization in subjects who subsequently developed schizoaffective disorder, which could have been produced by an episode of schizophrenia, an episode of acute and transient psychosis or an affective episode. Also, the long-term outcome of the subjects showed differences between the two groups regarding the number of hospitalizations – which is much higher in subjects from schizoaffective group than in those with schizophrenia. The schizoaffective disorder group shows superior professional and family functioning in comparison with the group diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Conclusions: The conclusion of this study is that schizoaffective disorder is a nosological entity different from schizophrenia. In order to clarify its nosological status, neurophysiologic, laboratory examinations and family studies are needed.