|
|
|
|
|
Flat Affect Affect means the emotions displayed by a person. Often this is thought of as facial expression but it can also include body language and so forth. Normally people exhibit a full range of affect: sadness, irritability, happiness, frustration, contentedness, fear, and many, many others. A child or teen with flat affect, shows little or no emotion. Their facial expression is neutral, looking the same whether they were told they are finally going on a long-dreamed of vacation to Disneyland or told their beloved pet is gravely ill. Often someone with flat affect will show little emotion in their voice either. Flat affect is a symptom of depression. Parents who are unaware that these are symptoms of depression could easily be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking, “At least she’s not crying all the time anymore.” It should also be noted that sometimes someone may have blunted affect. This means that although your child/teen is showing some emotion, it is “muted” or less emotion than another child in the same situation might show (i.e. reacting to a long-awaited vacation with a small smile rather than notable excitement). If your child has either flat or blunted affect, be sure to share this with your child’s pdoc and tdoc so they can more fully evaluate his/her mood. |
|
|
|
