Affective and schizoaffective mixed states.
Although both DSM-IV and ICD-10 define schizoaffective mixed states, they have not received much attention-neither in the clinical nor in research context. We present preliminary results of a prospective study of bipolar affective (n = 100) and bipolar schizoaffective (n = 177) patients. 25% of the bipolar affective and 32% of the bipolar schizoaffective patients had at least one (schizo)mixed episode during the illness course. Nevertheless, (schizo)mixed episodes were rare-only 5.6% of all episodes. There was a trend that patients with (schizo)mixed episodes were more often women and exhibited more disability (reflected by higher rates of disability payments). Nevertheless, these differences failed to reach significance. Overall, schizo-mixed episodes are as frequent as "pure" affective mixed episodes. They might be linked to a less favourable course. Nevertheless, while their diagnostic criteria are problematic, they are systematically underdiagnosed.
Marneros
Andreas
A
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06097 Halle, Germany. andreas.marneros@medizin.uni-halle.de
Röttig
Stephan
S
Wenzel
Andreas
A
Blöink
Raffaela
R
Brieger
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D018868:Insurance, Disability; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics