During a psychiatric assessment, the nurse observes a patient's facial expression is without emotion. The patient says, "Life feels so hopeless to me. I've been feeling sad for several months." How will the nurse document the patient's affect and mood?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mood refers to a person's self-reported emotional feeling state. Affect is the emotional feeling state that is outwardly observable by others. When there is no evidence of emotion in a person's expression, the affect is flat.

During a Psychiatric Assessment, the Nurse Observes a Patient's Facial