Schizoaffective Disorder: How long does it take to diagnose? A case report

Abstract

Introduction: It is reported a case of a 57-year-old woman with multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, during which different diagnostic hypotheses and therapeutic procedures were proposed. Case report: After analyzing the patient’s clinical records, the medical team proposed a diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder. This disorder presents a high risk of recurrent hospitalizations and high costs associated with therapeutic and follow-up withdrawal, yet there is limited data to assess the post-discharge critical periods. Final considerations: Further research in this area is required to adopt effective therapeutic strategies, reduce the probability of hospital admissions, improve prognosis, and lessen associated financial costs