Analyzing a Concept Essay

Analyzing a Concept Essay

According to Chakraburtty (2009) Schizoaffective disorder is a serious mental illness that has features of two different conditions, schizophrenia and an affective mood disorder, either major depression or bipolar disorder. According to every dictionary Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others.

According to Meltzer (1984), though they decided to retain the category of schizoaffective disorder on the DSM, no diagnostic criteria were provided and it was intended to be used rarely, only in those instances in which a differential diagnosis between affective disorder, schizophrenia, and schizophreniform disorders could not be made with any degree of certainty. According to Meltzer (1984), there are considered to be six hypotheses concerning the nature of schizoaffective disorder: (1) that it occurs when both schizophrenia and affective disorder are present; (2) that all such cases are variants of schizophrenia; (3) that all such cases are variants of affective psychosis; (4) that schizoaffective illness may be an expression of either schizophrenia or affective psychosis; (5) that at least some such cases represent a unique type of psychosis; and (6) that an interacting group of biological vulnerabilities, environmental insults, or ensuing psychological reactions produces the spectrum of clinical states from "pure" schizophrenia to "pure" affective psychosis.

According to Chakraburtty (2009) Schizoaffective disorder is a life-long illness that can impact all areas of daily living, including work or school, social contacts and relationships. Most people with this illness have periodic episodes, called relapses, when their symptoms surface. Schizoaffective disorder has severe changes in mood and some of the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking. Psychotic symptoms reflect the person's inability to tell what is real from what is imagined. Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder may vary greatly from one person to the next and may be mild or severe.

Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder may include: depression, poor appetite, weight loss or gain, changes in sleeping patterns, agitation, lack of energy, loss of interest in usual activities, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, guilt or self-blame, inability to think or concentrate, or thoughts of death or suicide. Mania which includes increased activity, including work, social and sexual activity, increased and/or rapid talking, rapid or racing thoughts, little need for sleep, agitation, inflated self-esteem, distractibility, and self-destructive or dangerous behavior. Schizophrenia which includes delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, odd or unusual behavior, slow movements or total immobility, lack of emotion in facial expression and speech, poor motivation, and problems with speech and communication.

According to Chakraburtty (2009), the exact cause of schizoaffective disorder is not known; researchers believe that genetic, biochemical and environmental factors are involved. Genetics (heredity): A tendency to develop schizoaffective disorder may be passed on from parents to their children. Brain chemistry: People with schizophrenia and mood disorders may have an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are substances that help nerve cells in the brain send messages to each other. An imbalance in these chemicals can interfere with the transmission of messages, leading to symptoms. Environmental factors: Evidence suggests that certain environmental factors