Schizoaffective Disorder and premorbid functioning

[aim-agm]

Is recovery to premorbid function (with treatment) incompatible with schizoaffective disorder in the same way it would be with schizophrenia? I'm puzzling over whether I would be able to reject a historical diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder in favor of mood disorder with psychotic features in such a case.

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[bashir]

Recovery to premorbid functioning is not incompatible with schizophrenia. But if the question is about whether to step down someone to a less stigmatizing diagnosis when the current presentation seems to justify it and the historical record of how they initially came to earn that more stigmatizing/severe diagnosis is likely to remain incomplete, I say go for it.

 

[clozareal]

Schizoaffective disorder tends to have a better prognosis and treatment response than schizophrenia, which is counterintuitive because you would think having "two" conditions would be worse than having one but each of those disorders are heterogenous. It's also a thing that psychiatrists choose the less severe psychotic diagnosis for whatever reason. Is it that much better to have an MDD with psychosis vs psychotic bipolar vs schizoaffective vs schizophrenia vs drug-induced psychotic disorder?

 

[whopper]

I speculate the "better prognosis" is because in studies some of those may have included Bipolar Disorder mania with psychosis or MDD with psychotic features, or a mood disorder mixed with Schizotypal, Delusional or Paranoid PD.

I've seen plenty of institutions that were paid for more research subjects shortcut to make anyone they could find with any loose connection to the disorder needed suddenly put people in that disorder category. E.g. the MDQ, they'll use it as a screen, and not tease out people who answer Y to many of the questions if those Y's were from substance abuse.

 

[mistafab]

I speculate the "better prognosis" is because in studies some of those may have included Bipolar Disorder mania with psychosis or MDD with psychotic features, or a mood disorder mixed with Schizotypal, Delusional or Paranoid PD.

I've seen plenty of institutions that were paid for more research subjects shortcut to make anyone they could find with any loose connection to the disorder needed suddenly put people in that disorder category. E.g. the MDQ, they'll use it as a screen, and not tease out people who answer Y to many of the questions if those Y's were from substance abuse.

Unfortunately, this is completely true. The major influence$$ in this area corrupts the science. I know personally of folks who helped conduct this “research.” A bunch of crooks.

At least we are seeing that USA is sick of fake science. Even Columbia is not immune.