The conceptualization of terms: ‘Mood’ and ‘affect’ in academic trainees of mental health

BACKGROUND: The management of psychiatric disorders should ideally be carried out by a multidisciplinary team that consists of mental health professionals from different disciplines. All mental health professionals are expected to learn similar basic clinical skills during their training, despite the difference in their graduation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the conceptualization of the terms ‘mood’ and ‘affect’ in all academic trainees of mental health in the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ‘modified mood and affect questionnaire’ administered to all mental health trainees of CIP, Ranchi, India, in this study. The participants were requested to mark one response (either ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not sure’) for each item. The completed questionnaire was collected on the spot. RESULTS: The statistical analysis was done for the data from psychiatric residents and trainees of clinical psychology. The statistical differences were observed between these two groups in response to the items-‘Mood is the moment to moment emotional tone’ and items of ‘sign/symptom dimension’. CONCLUSIONS: The observed statistical difference in items could be the reflection of the differences in the description of ‘mood’ and ‘affect’ in textbooks of psychopathology, as well as, the difference in their graduation. The trainees of clinical psychology may be benefitted with more exposure in medical knowledge during their training.