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Schizoaffective disorder is a mental/brain disorder whose diagnostic category falls under psychotic disorder. It is characterized by thought, emotional and behavioral disturbances. There are two types of this disease including depressive type (which shows major depressive episodes) and bipolar type (which shows manic episodes) and at times extreme depression.

Diagnostic category

This condition is a special one since it tends to change/vary from one individual to the other. Victims of this disease can show mood and psychotic symptoms. However, there are common features that can significantly assist to define individuals suffering from this condition including mood episodes and not less than 2 weeks of psychotic symptoms in case of an absence of major mood episodes (Kantrowitz, & Citrome, 2011). Individuals with this condition (either depressive type or bipolar type shows the following symptoms;

· Symptoms of depression e.g. one feels angry and valueless/worthless

· Delusions

· Hallucinations

· Impaired communication

· Impaired learning in schools, at the workplace, and in social places

· Strange behaviors

· Poor personal management and problems with cleanliness

· Instances of manic mood

· Sleeplessness

These are some of the things that guide medics in determining whether an individual has this illness.

Not only schizoaffective bipolar type disorder displays psychotic symptoms but several other mental illnesses and therefore, it is important for the physicians to differentiate this disease from others that might show several similar symptoms. However, the primary signs that define schizoaffective disorder play a vital role in differentiating this disease from other conflicting ones (Kantrowitz, & Citrome, 2011). Some of these include;

· Substance-induced disorders – this can be as a result of intoxication of substances or withdrawal from substances.

· Schizoaffective depressive type

· Dementia

· Mood disorder

· Delusional disorder

· Schizophrenia

· Schizophreniform disorder

Basics of pharmacological treatments

There are several pharmacological treatments for schizoaffective bipolar type disorder. The treatment may include the following;

· Mood stabilizers – used when the condition is bipolar type. Some examples of these medications include carbamazepine, Lamictal, Depakene, and lithium.

· Antipsychotics – in this case, FDA only approves Invega but medics can prescribe other medicines to assist in the management of psychotic symptoms e.g. hallucination.

· Antidepressants – to enhance or better the management of depression when it is the primary mood issue. These drugs assist in managing feelings of worthless, sleeplessness, and lack of concentration. Some of these drugs include amoxapine, doxepin, and clomipramine (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

Basics of non-pharmacological treatments

Psychotherapy is used as a non-pharmacological treatment. This encompasses several therapies which are provided to the person with schizoaffective bipolar type disorder or his/her family. The intervention employed can include;

· Family or group therapy – the medications work well when other individuals such as parents and friends support the individual with this disorder. Working to know their challenges is vital since they can assist the victim of the disease in several ways and promote his/her wellbeing and health and eradicate cases of social isolation.

· Individual therapy – assist in the management of thoughts and symptoms in victims of this disease. Creating trustable relationships with individuals with schizoaffective bipolar type disorder can help them understand their illness and this will better the way they manage and cope with it (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

Basics of CAM treatments

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) also known as non-prescription therapy are also used to help in the management of this disease. Some of the CAM treatments used here include the use of Vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin B9 (since individuals with this condition tend to have low blood levels), vitamins B12, and Vitamin C. Moreover, fish oil supplements are also crucial since they can assist in reducing inflammation in patient’s body and improving their symptoms. As well, glycine is also used as an alternative treatment since it is believed to enhance the functioning of antipsychotic medications. Glycine also assists in decreasing the negative behaviors associated with this disease e.g. instances of depression. However, research has shown out that glycine can reduce the efficacy of some drugs used in the treatment of this disease such as clozapine.

Patient and family education

Here, the patient and the family are educated about schizoaffective bipolar type disorder in what is commonly known as psychoeducation. They are taught the dangerous signs of this disease, how it differs from other mental disorders, appropriate behaviors to avoid worsening of this disease, and effective ways of managing it. With this knowledge and understanding of this condition, families are able to support their patients to manage the disease. Furthermore, training the patient important social skills is vital since it can enable them to improve their communication and interactions with other people around them. It can also increase their ability to take part in daily activities. Last and not least vocational convalescence and supported employment are also important since they assist the patients to find and retain jobs (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

There are several ways used in the screening of schizoaffective bipolar type disorder and some of these include;

· Physical exam – the physician carries out a physical examination and laboratory tests to reveal the underlying medical issues resulting in the identified signs i.e. it helps to rule out other mental disorders which might portray similar symptoms (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

· Psychiatric assessment – here, the physician works closely with the family and friends to the patients to better understand the thoughts/feelings, hallucinations, mood, and behavior of the patient.

· Tests and screenings – these are carried to assist in ruling out other illness which portrays similar symptoms with this disease, for instance, substance-induced diseases (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

Special population considerations

The research shows that schizoaffective bipolar type disorder is a rare disease affecting only about 0.2-0.5% of individuals. The research also shows that women are more prone to this condition than men. It is also clear that individuals who hail from a family with a history of this disease or other diseases such as Bipolar disease and schizophrenia high a higher chance of getting this disease. Medics should therefore work towards understanding the family background of their patient during the assessment process for this disease to try and establish any roots of this condition (MIRECC, n.d.).

Labs/diagnostics to consider:list

There is no explicit or exact test conducted on the patient’s blood or scan on his head/brain to identify schizoaffective bipolar type disorder. However, the physician can carry out a physical examination and laboratory exams such as tests on the patient’s urine to ascertain that the patient’s symptoms are not as a result of other disorders. These strategies and tests are just carried out to help the medic rule out other mental diseases such as mood disorders that have similar signs/symptoms with this disease (MIRECC, n.d.).

Clinical pearls

The clinical pearl important to enhance the treatment and management of schizoaffective bipolar type disorder. First, it is important to know what is believed to aggravate it since this can help in its management. The research shows that quitting smoking and using alcohol and other substances can help a patient keep off from behavioral problems that may worsen his or her condition. Therefore, it is important for the medics to advice families and patients to stop using drugs and substances. It is also believed that smoking increases a person’s chances of getting this disease.

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