You suspect a morbid expression of emotion in a patient. Before revealing the answer, decide how you would assess for this.

Ask family, friends, or others who know the patient well whether they have noticed any change in the patient's emotional display, since this is usually first noticed by people around the patient rather than reported by the patient themselves. When a change is described, ask the patient directly whether they recognise it, since a lack of self-recognition is the defining feature. Consider which of the specific recognised patterns best fits: blunting, incongruity, constriction, stiffening, lability, or incontinence of affect. Consider whether the presentation is associated with a more established or severe underlying illness, since this is often the case compared with an abnormal expression of emotion.