FAMILY HISTORY STUDY OF SCHIZO-AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Abstract

All patients with a discharged diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder (53 cases) admitted to the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry during 1971-73, were selected. Schizophrenia (chronic psychotic disorders) and affective disorders (episodic remitting disorders with affective symptoms) were diagnosed among parents and sibs on the basis of chart material. Frequency of schizophrenia was 0.9%; frequency of affective disorders, 11.8%. These results were compared to data for relatives of cases of schizophrenia and affective disorders. There were no significant differences for rates of schizophrenia among relatives. The rate of affective disorder among relatives of schizo-affectives was significantly higher than for the relatives of schizophrenics (3.2%), and not significantly different from relatives of affective disorder cases (8.3%). An analysis of outcome, precipitants and age of admission supported the view that schizo-affective disorder should not be routinely classified as schizophrenia for research purposes.