🧠 Easy Read Leaflet: Schizoaffective Disorder

 

What is Schizoaffective Disorder? 🧩

• Mental illness with two main parts:

  • Psychosis 👀🎵 – seeing or hearing things that aren’t real

  • Mood changes 😔😃 – feeling very low (depression) or very high (mania)

• It is its own condition, not just schizophrenia + bipolar.

(Tip: Put this section in a light blue box.)

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Signs of Psychosis 👀🎵

• Hearing voices others don’t hear

• Seeing things others don’t see

• Believing things that aren’t true

• Confused thinking or speech

(Tip: Use a blue header and icon next to each bullet.)

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Signs of Mood Changes 😔😃

Depression (Low Mood):

• Feeling sad, tired, hopeless

• Losing interest in things

• Sleeping too much or too little

Mania (High Mood):

• Feeling very energetic or excited

• Talking fast

• Sleeping very little

• Taking risks or making big decisions

(Tip: Use yellow for depression, orange for mania.)

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Comparing Conditions 🧩

Condition	Psychosis?	Mood Changes?	Main Feature
Schizophrenia	✅ Yes	❌ Rarely	Mainly psychosis
Bipolar Disorder	✅ Sometimes	✅ Yes	Big highs and lows
Schizoaffective	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Mix of psychosis + mood changes

(Tip: Use green boxes for the table.)

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Getting Support 💊🏠

• Medicines: antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, antidepressants

• Talking therapy (CBT, counseling)

• Support from family, friends, and mental health teams

(Tip: Use green box, add small icons next to each type of support.)

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Quick Quiz ❓

1. What two types of symptoms are in schizoaffective disorder?

2. What does psychosis mean?

3. Name one sign of depression.

4. Name one sign of mania.

5. Is schizoaffective disorder its own diagnosis?

6. Fill in the blanks:

   • Schizophrenia = _______

   • Bipolar = _______

   • Schizoaffective = _______ + _______

7. Name one type of support for schizoaffective disorder.

1️⃣ Use Simple, Recognisable Symbols

• 🎵 Hearing voices – use a music note or speech bubble

• 👀 Seeing things – use an eye symbol

• 💭 Thoughts / delusions – thought bubble icon

• 😔 Depression – sad face

• 😃 Mania / high mood – happy or excited face

• 💊 Medication / support – pill or hospital symbol

• 🏠 Support from home / family – house or family icon

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2️⃣ Use Boxes or Colour Blocks

• Put each main section in a coloured box:

  • Psychosis → blue box

  • Mood → yellow box

  • Support → green box

• This helps learners see sections clearly and focus on one idea at a time.

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3️⃣ Use Large, Clear Fonts

• Fonts like Arial, Calibri, Comic Sans, or Verdana work best.

• Keep text size 14–18pt minimum.

• Avoid long paragraphs; use bullet points.

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4️⃣ Keep Layout Simple

• One idea per line / bullet point

• Short sentences only

• Use bold or colour for key words (e.g., “psychosis,” “mania”)

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5️⃣ Visual Examples (Optional)

• You can include small illustrations or icons next to bullet points to reinforce meaning.

• Example:

  • “Hearing voices 🎵”

  • “Feeling very low 😔”

  • “Taking risks ⚠️”

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6️⃣ Use White Space

• Don’t cram text; leave space between sections.

• Easier to read for people with dyslexia, ADHD, or learning difficulties.