IngentaConnect Schizoaffective disorder the reliability of its clinical diagnost...

Authors: Vollmer-Larsen, A.¹; Jacobsen, T. B.²; Hemmingsen, R.²; Parnas, J.¹

Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Volume 113, Number 5, May 2006 , pp. 402-407(6)

Abstract:

Vollmer-Larsen A, Jacobsen TB, Hemmingsen R, Parnas J. Schizoaffective disorder – the reliability of its clinical diagnostic use. Objective:

Patients with psychoses often suffer from affective symptoms. The originally broad concept of schizoaffective disorder (SAD) has been significantly narrowed, transformed into a convoluted set of criteria both in the ICD-10 and DSM-IV. We examined the reliability of the clinical use of this diagnosis in university settings. Method:

All patients discharged from two university hospitals in Copenhagen in year 2002 with a diagnosis of ICD-10 SAD (n = 59) were re-evaluated using the Operational Criteria (OPCRIT) checklist expanded by additional items and applied to hospital chart material. Diagnoses were allocated by OPCRIT algorithm and by consensus of two psychiatrists. Results:

No patients fulfilled the SAD lifetime diagnosis according to DSM-IV criteria and the raters diagnosed only six patients as possible ICD-10 SAD. Conclusion:

A moratorium on the clinical use of the SAD diagnosis is suggested.

Keywords: schizoaffective disorder; ICD-10; DSM-IV; reliability

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00744.x

Affiliations: 1: University Department of Psychiatry, Hvidovre Hospital, and Centre for Subjectivity Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2: University Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

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