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Lener, MD — By Jenna Fletcher on May 30, 2022Schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia are mental health disorders that share some common symptoms and treatments. While some people consider them to be two distinct disorders, others believe that schizoaffective disorder is a type of schizophrenia. The main factor distinguishing schizoaffective disorder from schizophrenia is the presence of a mood component to schizoaffective disorder. This mood component can be manic or depressive. Some researchers believe schizoaffective disorder is a more severe variant of schizophrenia. Although a person with schizoaffective disorder also has a mood disorder that needs to be evaluated and addressed, the treatments are the same for both conditions. Estimates indicate that around 0.3% of the U.S. population is living with schizoaffective disorder, and anywhere from 0.25% to 0.64% of the population is living with schizophrenia. Although both disorders share some similar features and treatments, having a complete diagnosis can help improve a person’s treatment outcomes and quality of life. This article reviews the similarities and differences between schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia. What is the difference between schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia Share on PinterestRoxiRosita/Getty ImagesWhile schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia both have their own diagnostic criteria, some researchers think they are two forms of the same condition and have proposed using one single diagnosis. The main difference between the disorders is that schizoaffective disorder needs to have symptoms of a mood disorder in addition to psychotic symptoms for a doctor to make a diagnosis. Unlike schizoaffective disorder, a diagnosis of schizophrenia also requires that symptoms be present for at least 6 months since their initial onset. A person with schizoaffective disorder will typically need treatment for both psychotic symptoms and a mood disorder. Causes There are several potential causes of schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia, but researchers still do not know the exact cause of either condition. Both schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia may develop due to:Genetics: Both conditions run in families, though a family history of either does not mean a person will inherit the condition. Brain structure and chemistry: The structure of an individual’s brain and how it sends signals may influence the development of either condition.Drug use: LSD use may increase the risk of schizoaffective disorder, while cannabis use may increase the risk of schizophrenia. Symptoms Both conditions can present differently in people. Given the overlap of schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia, they can share some common symptoms. These can include: hallucinations: seeing or hearing things that do not existdelusions: holding false or incorrect beliefs despite contradictory evidence Schizoaffective disorder may also cause symptoms such as:depressed mood manic behaviordisorganized thinking People living with schizophrenia may experience:issues with concentration, memory, or attentionloss of motivation and desire to do things they once enjoyedtrouble expressing emotions Diagnosis Schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia currently have different diagnostic criteria, though many believe schizoaffective disorder is a type of schizophrenia. Schizoaffective disorder For a doctor to diagnose schizoaffective disorder, a person must:have symptoms that are not due to misuse of medications or drugsexperience delusions or hallucinations without a major mood episode for 2 weeks or moreexperience a period during which either mania or depression occurs at the same time as hallucinations or delusionshave major mood episode symptoms that occur for the majority of the mental health disorder Schizophrenia Diagnosing schizophrenia is often difficult, as factors such as drug use can produce similar symptoms. Additionally, people often do not believe they are living with the condition. No single lab test or diagnostic test can produce an effective diagnosis. Instead, a doctor will typically monitor a person’s symptoms for at least 6 months. They will also need to rule out other potential causes of behavior changes, such as a brain tumor. A doctor can typically diagnose schizophrenia when a person displays two or more of the following:hallucinationsdelusionsnegative symptomscatatonic or disorganized behaviordisorganized speech Treatment Both schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia share similar treatment approaches. A person living with either condition may receive the following treatments:medications to address hallucination and delusionspsychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or family-focused therapieseducation about their condition and training on management strategies A person living with schizoaffective disorder will also need treatment for mood disorders, such as depression. This may include medications such as mood stabilizers or antidepressants. Living with the condition Schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia can present challenges to a person living with either disorder. For example, many people with schizophrenia do not realize it affects them. With treatment, a person and their family should notice symptom improvement in either condition. Some steps a person can take to help reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life include: following their treatment plansjoining a support grouptaking care of their general well-being, including sleeping on a regular schedule, eating healthy foods, and avoiding alcohol or drug useremaining focused on treatment goalslearning about the disorderfiguring out warning signs of a return of symptomslooking into social services that may help with housing and employment Summary Schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia are mental health conditions that share many symptoms and treatments but have their own specific diagnostic criteria. The main difference between both conditions is the presence of mood disorders in schizoaffective disorder. With treatment, a person can generally see symptom reduction and improve their quality of life with either condition. However, diagnosis can be a challenge for both conditions. Last medically reviewed on May 30, 2022Mental HealthSchizophreniaPsychology / Psychiatry 9 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Hartman, L. I., et al. (2019). The continuing story of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: One condition or two?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6370594/Living well with schizophrenia. (2022).https://www.samhsa.gov/serious-mental-illness/schizophreniaPatel, S., et al. (2020). The association between cannabis use and schizophrenia: Causative or curative? A systematic review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442038/#:~:text=Frequent%20use%20of%20cannabis%2C%20especially,high%20potency%20THC%20%5B18%5DSchizoaffective disorder. (n.d.).https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Schizoaffective-DisorderSchizophrenia. (2020).https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophreniaSchizophrenia. (n.d.).https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/SchizophreniaSchizophrenia. (n.d.).https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophreniaWilson, J. E., et al. (2014). The schizoaffective disorder diagnosis: A conundrum in the clinical setting.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207055/Wy, T. J. P., et al. (2021). Schizoaffective disorder.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541012/FEEDBACK:Medically reviewed by Marc S. Lener, MD — By Jenna Fletcher on May 30, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? 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