精神疾患

• Reading: せいしんしっかん
• Romaji: seishin shikkan
• Kanji breakdown: 精神 (seishin) — mind, spirit, psyche; 疾患 (shikkan) — disease, disorder, ailment
• Pronunciation: /seː.ɕiŋ.ɕik.kaŋ/

Meaning

Mental illness; psychiatric disorder. A clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion, or behaviour.

A formal medical compound used in clinical, legal, and policy contexts. More specific and less stigmatising in modern usage than older terms such as 精神病 (psychosis). Often seen in public health discourse and workplace health management contexts. The related term 精神障害 (psychiatric disability) emphasises functional impairment.

Examples

1. 職場でのストレスが引き金となり、精神疾患を発症するケースが増えている。 Cases of mental illness triggered by workplace stress have been increasing.
2. 精神疾患を抱える人々への社会的偏見をなくす取り組みが広がっている。 Efforts to eliminate social stigma against people with mental illness are spreading.
3. 彼は精神疾患の診断を受け、専門医のもとで治療を続けている。 He was diagnosed with a mental illness and continues to receive treatment under the care of a specialist.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, mental health, social welfare, public health

Tone: clinical, neutral

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound: 精神 (seishin) means mind, spirit, or psyche, and 疾患 (shikkan) is a formal medical term for disease or disorder. The compound entered widespread clinical use during the Meiji-era adoption of Western psychiatry.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adult

Social background: Universal