Final answer:
The separation of Schizoaffective disorder from mood disorder with psychotic features lies in the duration of symptoms, with Schizoaffective disorder featuring at least two weeks of psychosis without prominent mood symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key feature that separates Schizoaffective disorder from mood disorder with psychotic features is the duration of symptoms. Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia (like hallucinations or delusions) and mood disorder symptoms (such as depression or mania), which occur simultaneously during an uninterrupted period of illness. However, the differentiating factor is that in schizoaffective disorder, there is a period of at least two weeks of psychotic symptoms without prominent mood symptoms, which is not the case for mood disorders with psychotic features where mood symptoms are typically predominant.
People with mood disorders with psychotic features only experience psychosis during episodes of severe depression or mania. Unlike schizophrenia, which has a significant focus on psychosis, mood disorders might also include periods where the patient does not experience any psychotic symptoms.