rehabilitation psychology

rehabilitation psychology, field in which knowledge from psychology is applied to the treatment and care of persons with disabilities, with the goal of improving quality of life and mental and social function. Experts in the field, known as rehabilitation psychologists, help patients achieve those goals through research, clinical practice, teaching, public education, the development of social policy, and advocacy. Rehabilitation psychology covers the human life span, from early childhood through late adulthood.

Settings of care

Rehabilitation psychology services typically are offered across a variety of settings, including in acute care hospitals and medical centres, inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation units, nursing homes and assisted living centres, and community agencies that serve people with specific types of disability or chronic illness (e.g., vision loss and low vision, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or deafness). Some of those facilities may be operated privately, whereas others, such as hospitals and centres for war veterans, are government facilities.

Clinical and counseling services

Clinical and counseling services provided by rehabilitation psychologists help individuals to cope with chronic, traumatic, or congenital injuries or illnesses. Examples of such conditions include spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, amputation, cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, limb weakness, chronic pain, congenital or chronic developmental disorders (e.g., intellectual disability), chronic mental illness, substance abuse, impairments in sensory functioning, burn injury, deafness and hearing loss, and blindness and vision loss. Many of those impairments are compounded by social stigma and cultural, educational, or other disadvantages.

Rehabilitation psychologists address neurocognitive status, mood and emotions, desired level of independence or interdependence, freedom of movement, self-esteem and self-determination, subjective view of capabilities and quality of life, and satisfaction with achievements in specific areas (e.g., work, social relationships, and community access). Rehabilitation psychologists consider the influence on the patient of culture, ethnicity, gender, residence and geographic location, available services, and others’ attitudes toward disability. They also explore environmental barriers to participation and activity performance, including accommodations and adaptations in existing structures or materials and the use of assistive technology and personal assistance services. Families, primary caregivers, and other significant people in the individual’s social life and community are valued and often are engaged in rehabilitation activities in order to help the patient achieve optimal physical, psychological, and interpersonal functioning.

Interdisciplinary teamwork is a hallmark of rehabilitation psychology practice across settings and areas of specialization. Rehabilitation psychologists provide services within existing networks of biological, psychological, social, environmental, and political environments. In some cases attorneys, courts, government agencies, educational institutions, corporate facilities, or insurance companies are the recipients of those services.