A survey of psychiatrists' attitudes to schizoaffective disorder

Objective. Schizoaffective disorder is an established diagnosis in both ICD-10 and DSM-IV, but research evidence relating to its nosological status and aetiology is conflicting. This study aimed to examine the attitudes of practising consultant psychiatrists, and to see whether there is a consensus about its classification and value in everyday clinical psychiatry. Method. A questionnaire was mailed to 2000 consultant psychiatrists drawn randomly from the membership list of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom. Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with a series of statements about schizoaffective disorder and give some basic demographic data. Results. Of over 800 respondents, almost all reported using the diagnosis in clinical practice, but a small minority reported that they never use the diagnosis. Most psychiatrists considered the diagnosis to be clinically useful but there was little agreement about its nature, its relationship to other mental illnesses, its aetiology, or its characteristic clinical features. Conclusions. Schizoaffective disorder is an established diagnosis in psychiatric practice and is valued by clinicians but there is little consensus of opinion or practice in relation to it. Psychiatrists should be careful to use the diagnosis in accordance with current classificatory schemes, and further research should continue to investigate both its conceptual validity and its use in clinical practice.