Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by features of both schizophrenia and either depression or bipolar disorder. Since it shares symptoms with other disorders, it is often difficult to tell if the individual has schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, a combination of those or is actually schizoaffective.
Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder include psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions or paranoia, and mood symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms may occur at the same time, but according to Medline Plus, those who are schizoaffective will show psychotic symptoms for at least two weeks without any symptoms of a mood disorder present.
Environmental Causes of Schizoaffective Disorder
There is a lot of theory as to environmental causes of schizoaffective disorder that can begin as early as in the womb. Exposure to certain viruses or toxins during fetal development may lead to schizoaffective disorder in those with a genetic predisposition to the disorder.
Traumatic birth can lead to schizoaffective disorder if there is any damage to the brain. This could affect the future development of chemical centers within the brain.
Poor socialization is believed to be a potential environmental factor to the development of schizoaffective disorder according to the Mayo Clinic. Perhaps the chemicals in the brain do not develop fully without proper social interaction, or perhaps some of the delusional thinking comes about from a lack of learning adequate socialization skills.
Stressful situations are another environmental factor believed to play a role in the development of schizoaffective disorder. Long-term stress affects hormone levels in the body, which in turn affect the chemical levels in the brain. Continued or long-term exposure to stress can actually change the chemical composition in the brain leading to conditions such as schizoaffective disorder.
This writer believes certain medications can lead to schizoaffective disorder in those genetically predisposed to the condition. Often antipsychotic medications are used to treat the manic phases of bipolar disorder and hard-to-treat depression. These medications affect dopamine levels in the brain. When the individual no longer takes the medication because either the medication is changed or is believed to not need it any longer, dopamine levels will drop. Over time, this could permanently affect the levels of dopamine in the brain, leading to the development of psychotic symptoms.
Mayo Clinic; Schizoaffective Disorder
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizoaffective-disorder/DS00866/DSECTION=symptoms
Medline Plus; Schizoaffective Disorder
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000930.htm