Assessment of attitude provides an indication of the client's motivation for treatment. He was pacing throughout the interview, although he was very cooperative. He was judged to be a reliable historian. The quality and quantity of the client's speech provide information about thought processes. Quality refers to relevance, appropriateness to topic, coherence, clarity, and voice volume.
Quantity describes the amount and rate of speech, and any sense of pressure.
Mood is the underlying feeling state. Affect is described by such terms as constricted, normal range, appropriate to context, flat, and shallow. Mood refers to the feeling tone and is described by such terms as anxious, depressed, dysphoric, euphoric, angry, and irritable. Mood congruent with content. Affect irritable, hostile and labile.