In Schizoaffective Disorder, mood episodes must be present for the majority of the illness.

• A. Mood symptoms present for the majority of the illness
• B. Mood symptoms must be present for a minority of the illness
• C. Mood symptoms must be absent
• D. It is solely mood with psychotic features

Answer: (A)

Schizoaffective disorder is defined by a prominent mood component intertwined with psychotic symptoms, but with psychotic symptoms also lasting outside of mood episodes. The most important point is that mood symptoms must be present for the majority of the illness course. This means the illness spends more time in a mood-affected state with psychosis than in a pure psychotic state without mood symptoms. That predominance of mood symptoms helps distinguish it from pure schizophrenia (where mood symptoms are not a central, ongoing feature) and from mood disorder with psychotic features (where psychosis occurs only during mood episodes). Therefore, describing mood symptoms as present for the majority of the illness captures the essential pattern that defines schizoaffective disorder.