affect and mood define
Affect is the visible reaction a person displays toward events. Mood is the underlying feeling state. Affect is described by such terms as constricted, normal range, appropriate to context, flat, and shallow. Mood refers to the feeling tone and is described by such terms as anxious, depressed, dysphoric, euphoric, angry, and irritable. The Difference Between Mood and Affect. Though the terms mood and affect are often used interchangeably, they don't mean quite the same thing. Mood describes feelings or emotions that may be experienced over a long period of time, while affect refers to the current emotional response of the mood. APPEARANCE, BEHAVIOR, AND ATTITUDE. An MSE usually begins by describing the person’s age, marital status, race, and manner of dress. Appearance is important because a person suffering from serious mental impairment may lose interest in grooming and personal hygiene or may be unable to perform these normal functions. Defining Mood-Incongruent or Incongruent Affect. Incongruent means conflicting, so your symptoms are mood-incongruent if they are not consistent with your current mood or they are at odds with current circumstances. Believing you receive messages from God without having delusions of being a prophet or saint, etc. How to do a Mental Status Exam. Back to Class Page. The Mental Status Exam is the basis for understanding the client's presentation and beginning to conceptualize their functioning into a diagnosis. At first all this might seem overwhelming and time consuming, but really it's not that bad to do. It can generally be done in a few minutes when you need to do specific things, and the vast majority of this you can get from interviewing and simply watching the client carefully. 1 Incongruent affect, in which the client’s expression is of feelings opposite the ones appropriate for the context. 2  Lack of affect, in which emotional subjects are described in a detached manner.  Overreactions, in which a client may display an emotional response that is excessive in relation to the situation. Incongruent means conflicting, so your symptoms are mood-incongruent if they are not consistent with your current mood or they are at odds with current circumstances. For example: 1  Laughing when your pet dies.  Believing you receive messages from God without having delusions of being a prophet or saint, etc. Affect is a psychological term for an observable expression of emotion. A person's affect is the expression of emotion or feelings displayed to others through facial expressions, hand gestures, voice tone, and other emotional signs such as laughter or tears. Individual affect fluctuates according to emotional state. Defining Mood-Congruent or Congruent Affect. Congruent means agreeing, so your symptoms are mood-congruent when they are consistent with your mood and circumstances, such as the disorder with which you have been diagnosed. As the reduction in display of emotion becomes more severe, the term blunted affect may be applied. The absence of any exhibition of emotions is described as flat affect where the voice is monotone, the face expressionless, and the body immobile. Labile affect describes emotional instability or dramatic mood swings.
Affect is the visible reaction a person displays toward events and mood is the underlying feeling state.