What psychiatric disorder is defined by the presence of both mood and psychotic symptoms without mood symptoms lasting more than two weeks?

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Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by the combination of mood disorders, such as depression or mania, alongside psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations. The defining feature of schizoaffective disorder is that psychotic symptoms are present even when mood symptoms are not occurring, specifically without mood symptoms lasting more than two weeks at any point.

This differentiation is crucial because it sets schizoaffective disorder apart from disorders where mood symptoms are more intertwined with the psychotic features, such as in major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder with psychotic features. In schizoaffective disorder, the persistence of psychotic symptoms independent of mood disturbances is key to its diagnosis, clearly defining the nature of the disorder. Other psychiatric disorders listed do not meet this specific criterion regarding the coexistence and timing of mood and psychotic symptoms.

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