Overview
In the context of psychology, “affect” refers to the observable external expressions of someone’s internal emotional and mental state. That can mean facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc.
Types of affects used in the Mental Status Examination (MSE) for clinical purposes include:
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Broad/Normal Affect
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Restricted/Constricted Affect
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Blunted Affect
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Flat Affect
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Labile Affect
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Inappropriate Affect
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Congruent Affect
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Incongruent Affect