Which psychological disorder is characterized by both mood symptoms and psychotic features?

The disorder characterized by both mood symptoms and psychotic features is schizoaffective disorder. This condition integrates symptoms of schizophrenia, which include hallucinations or delusions, with mood disorder symptoms, such as those seen in major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.

In schizoaffective disorder, individuals experience significant mood episodes in conjunction with psychotic symptoms, which distinguishes it from other disorders that may feature one but not the other, like schizophrenia, which primarily involves psychosis without the requisite mood symptoms. The mood component can manifest as either depression or mania, depending on the specific type of schizoaffective disorder diagnosed.

This combination of symptoms is essential to recognizing and diagnosing schizoaffective disorder properly. It is an important aspect of treatment, as clinicians must address both psychotic features and mood disturbances to effectively manage the disorder.