Psychisch

Psychisch is an adjective used in German and Dutch to describe things related to the mind or psyche, including mental processes, states, and disorders. The term derives from the Greek psyche meaning mind or soul and gains its adjectival form through the Germanic suffix -isch (and the Dutch cognate).

In German, psychische Gesundheit (mental health), psychische Störung (psychological disorder), and psychische Belastung (psychological strain) are common compounds. In clinical language, psychisch is often contrasted with physisch or körperlich, which refer to physical aspects of health. While the word is neutral, it can appear in contexts that carry stigma, such as psychische Erkrankung (mental illness).

In Dutch, psychisch similarly denotes mental or psychological aspects and is used across medical, educational, and everyday contexts. Examples include psychisch welzijn (mental well-being) and psychische aandoening (mental disorder). The term functions as a general descriptor of cognitive and emotional functioning rather than supernatural phenomena.

Nuance exists between psychisch and seelisch in some contexts. Psychisch typically centers on cognitive and emotional functioning and clinical or everyday mental states, while seelisch may carry broader or more spiritual connotations in certain usages. In practice, the terms can overlap depending on regional or stylistic preference.

Translations into English commonly render psychisch as mental or psychological. The English term psychic is not equivalent in standard usage and can refer to occult or paranormal meanings, which differ from the normal German or Dutch sense of psychisch.