Which term indicates rapid and exaggerated mood changes?

Which term indicates rapid and exaggerated mood changes?

• A. Labile Affect
• B. Flat Affect
• C. Blunted Affect
• D. Neglect

Answer: (A)

Labile affect is rapid and exaggerated fluctuations in emotional expression. It means the person’s outward mood and facial/gestural displays swing quickly from one emotion to another—sometimes with little or no provocation. You might see someone go from cheerful to tearful to angry in a short span, and the expressed emotion may not match what they say internally. This differs from flat affect, where there is little to no facial expression or responsiveness; blunted affect, which shows a reduced intensity of emotional expression; and neglect, which is a perceptual/cognitive deficit unrelated to how emotions are expressed.

Labile affect is rapid and exaggerated fluctuations in emotional expression. It means the person’s outward mood and facial/gestural displays swing quickly from one emotion to another—sometimes with little or no provocation. You might see someone go from cheerful to tearful to angry in a short span, and the expressed emotion may not match what they say internally.

This differs from flat affect, where there is little to no facial expression or responsiveness; blunted affect, which shows a reduced intensity of emotional expression; and neglect, which is a perceptual/cognitive deficit unrelated to how emotions are expressed.