mentaalinen

Mentaalinen is a Finnish adjective meaning related to the mind or mental processes. It is commonly used in psychology, neuroscience, education, and public discourse to refer to cognitive functions, mental states, and psychological phenomena. In everyday language, it often appears in compounds such as mentaaliset prosessit (mental processes) or mentaalinen kuorma (mental load). For mental health, the standard Finnish term is mielenterveys, although mentaalinen terveys may appear in some contexts as a calque or emphasis.

Etymology and scope. The term traces to the international concept "mental," itself derived from Latin mentalis, and was adopted into Finnish as a general scientific adjective with the customary -inen suffix. In Finnish vocabulary, mentaalinen is used to express broad mind-related qualities rather than only clinical or strictly cognitive notions.

Usage. In academia, mentaalinen often refers to internal cognitive processes and representations, such as mentaaliset prosessit, mentaalinen representaatio, or mentaaliset tilat. In everyday language it can describe attitudes or mental states, for example mentaalinen asenne or mentaalinen kuorma. The related noun mieli or mielenterveys is commonly used for mental health, with mentaalinen terveys appearing in some contexts as a direct translation or emphasis.

See also. Mieli, Mielenterveys, Kognitio, Cognition.