What does psych/o mean?

What does psych/o mean?

• A. Body
• B. Spirit
• C. Thought
• D. Mind

Answer: (D)

psych/o denotes the mind. In medical language it appears in terms that deal with mental processes, behavior, and psychiatric conditions—examples include psychology, psychiatry, and psychosis. While the word psyche can historically refer to the soul, in modern terminology psych/o is specifically used for the mind. The other ideas don’t fit because the body is described with somat/o, there isn’t a standard clinical prefix for “spirit,” and thoughts are aspects of mental activity covered by the mind concept rather than a separate combining form.

psych/o denotes the mind. In medical language it appears in terms that deal with mental processes, behavior, and psychiatric conditions—examples include psychology, psychiatry, and psychosis. While the word psyche can historically refer to the soul, in modern terminology psych/o is specifically used for the mind. The other ideas don’t fit because the body is described with somat/o, there isn’t a standard clinical prefix for “spirit,” and thoughts are aspects of mental activity covered by the mind concept rather than a separate combining form.