Rehabilitation Psychology Page 1 of 47 PRINTED FROM OXFORD HANDBOOKS ONLINE (www.oxfordhandbooks.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2015. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Handbooks Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy). Subscriber: New York University; date: 21 June 2017 Abstract and Keywords As one of the oldest psychology specialties active in interdisciplinary medical centers and health and public policy, rehabilitation psychology focuses on the optimal adjustment of individuals with disabilities, their families, and primary support systems. The wide array of circumstances confronting individuals with disabilities demands a broad skill set and flexibility in the rehabilitation psychologist’s approach. Throughout its 50-year history, the field has been shaped and informed by theory and research drawn from other academic and practice areas of psychology including social, clinical, and counseling psychology, rehabilitation counseling, behavioral neuroscience, and neuropsychology. This rich heritage contributes to the specialty’s resilience and potential to address current challenges facing American health care, including the aging of the baby boom generation and the unprecedented numbers of wounded veterans returning to society with injuries that may require life-long services. Keywords: Rehabilitation psychology, disability, chronic illness, health care, assessment and intervention In a current statement, the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology within the American Psychological Association (APA) offered this definition of rehabilitation psychology: Rehabilitation Psychology is the study and application of psychological principles on behalf of persons with physical, sensory, cognitive, developmental or emotional disabilities. People with disabilities, including those with loss of function due to chronic illness, may face personal, social, or situational barriers to healthy and satisfying lifestyles. Some barriers are inherent in the disabling condition, while others arise from the environment, including social myths that contribute to devaluation of persons who are different. Through clinical interventions, research, Rehabilitation Psychology Timothy R. Elliott and Joseph F. Rath The Oxford Handbook of Counseling Psychology Edited by Elizabeth M. Altmaier and Jo-Ida C. Hansen Print Publication Date: Nov 2011 Subject: Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Neuropsychology Online Publication Date: Sep 2012 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195342314.013.0026 Oxford Handbooks Online