What dual symptoms characterize schizoaffective disorder?

The dual symptoms that characterize schizoaffective disorder are specifically a combination of schizophrenia and a mood disorder, which includes either a depressive or bipolar episode. This means that an individual with schizoaffective disorder experiences symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions or hallucinations, typical of schizophrenia, while also having significant mood disturbances similar to those found in mood disorders. This combination of symptoms can lead to complex presentations, where both the psychotic and mood-related symptoms can occur simultaneously or independently at different times.

This distinguishes schizoaffective disorder from other mental health conditions, as it explicitly requires the presence of both types of symptoms. In contrast, the other options do not appropriately capture the essential features of schizoaffective disorder, focusing instead on different disorder combinations or symptoms unrelated to schizoaffective criteria.