Factors influencing the long-term outcome of schizoaffective disorders

Factors influencing the long-term outcome of schizoaffective disorders were investigated in 101 patients with a mean duration of illness of 25.5 years. Univariate statistical analyses and stepwise multiple discriminance analyses were applied. The most important factors influencing the development of persisting psychosocial alterations proved to be the absence of pure melancholic episodes during course and life events at onset, and the presence of first rank schizophrenic symptoms, schizomanic-depressive mixed episodes, higher number of episodes and higher annual frequency of episodes. The most relevant factors influencing the development of negative social consequences due to the illness were found to be an asthenic/low self-confident premorbid personality and the higher number of episodes and cycles. There are only partial similarities with schizophrenic or affective disorders.