The diagnosis of mania

Manic illnesses are often misdiagnosed, particularly in adolescence when they are commonly and wrongly regarded as schizophrenic. Recent American studies suggest that the presence of Schneiderian and other schizophrenic symptoms has no influence on the duration or the response to treatment of manic illnesses, or on the morbidity of first-degree relatives, and that the concept of schizoaffective disorder, manic type is therefore redundant. Other evidence suggests that, although delusions of reference or persecution have no effect on outcome, the presence of auditory hallucinations or passivity phenomena is associated with a considerably worse outcome over the next few years.