afekt

Afekt, also spelled affect in English, is a term used in psychology and psychiatry to denote the observable expression of a person’s emotions. It refers to how feelings are displayed through facial expressions, voice, posture, and gestures, and is considered distinct from mood, which is the internal, subjective experience of emotion.

The word originates from Latin affectus and enters many European languages with the same root; in English the standard term is "affect," while Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish texts often use "afekt." In clinical usage, "affect" and "emotion" are related but distinct concepts: affect is outward, mood is inward.

Affect can be described as normal (broad or euthymic for mood) or abnormal when its expression is reduced or inappropriate. Common categories include constricted or restricted affect, blunted or flat affect, and labile affect (rapid, unpredictable changes). Inappropriate or incongruent affect occurs when emotional expression does not match the situation or content.

Abnormal affect is a feature in several psychiatric and neurological conditions. For example, blunted or flat affect can appear in schizophrenia and certain affective disorders; inappropriate affect can occur in mania or psychosis. Assessing affect helps clinicians gauge the severity and nature of a disturbance and monitor treatment response.

Assessment is typically observational, based on structured interviews and clinical scales, with notes on consistency between affect, mood, facial expression, and voice. While affect is informative, it is not a diagnosis by itself and must be interpreted in context.

See also: Affect (psychology), Mood, Schizophrenia, Psychiatric assessment.