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Rehabilitation psychology
Rehabilitation psychology addresses the psychological and social consequences of disability and chronic medical conditions, with work in medical rehabilitation and related settings.
- Type of entry
- Professional specialtyAn applied area with its own training routes and, in some places, credentials. Types are editorial labels, not an official classification.
- Cluster
- Health and careAssessment, care, health and the specialties built around them.
- Sources opened
- 3 of 30 read as a full page, 3 as selected text or an abstract, 0 not verified.
- Independent review
- Admitted after correctionsClaude Code reviewer agent, separate from the writer, 2026-10-21. 8 claims checked against 3 sources opened by the reviewer.
What it studies
Division 22 of the American Psychological Association describes itself as an organization of psychologists concerned with the psychological and social consequences of disability. It says rehabilitation psychologists work with people with diverse disabilities and chronic medical conditions across the life span.
History and people
A review article describes rehabilitation psychology gaining prominence during and after World War II, when psychologists helped veterans with vocational rehabilitation, guidance and academic counseling. Federal agencies funded conferences in 1958 and 1959, and Division 22 was established in 1958. Beatrice Wright's 1960 book on physical disability is described as among the first theory-driven psychological works on disability.
People and documented roles
- Beatrice A. Wright. Author of a 1960 book on physical disability
- Wrote a 1960 book on physical disability described as among the first theory-driven psychological works on disability. [3]
Only one person is documented, through one review article. The division history names no individuals, and the sources opened do not document other contributors, women beyond Wright, or scholars outside the United States.
Dated milestones
- 1958Society or organization formed. Year.Division 22 of the American Psychological Association is established, per the division's own timeline; this is a US society milestone, not the start of the field. [1]
- 1958 and 1959Event. Year.Federal agencies fund conferences for psychologists interested in rehabilitation, including the Princeton conference. [3]
- 1960Publication. Year.Wright's book on physical disability appears. [3]
- 1997Recognition decision. Year.An American Board of Professional Psychology specialty board in rehabilitation psychology is established; this is a US board certification body, not a license. [1]
Methods
The sources opened do not describe research or assessment procedures in detail. Division 22 says early research examined how changes in appearance and physical capacity affect individuals and social relationships, and examined stereotyping and prejudice toward people with disabilities.
Training and applications
Division 22 lists acute hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, academic institutions, legislative offices, day treatment programs, independent practice and industry as settings. In the United States, a specialty board in rehabilitation psychology was established under the American Board of Professional Psychology in 1997; board certification is not a license. Titles and licenses in any jurisdiction are set by regulators, not by this guide.
Boundaries and limits
The sources are United States accounts, mainly a division's own history, so they do not show how the area developed elsewhere. The division page names no individuals, and the review centers on one author's book. The division's page and the review do not explain how the 1958 and 1959 conferences relate in time to the division's 1958 establishment. No specialty recognition year is stated because the recognition table could not be opened.
Evidence behind the claims
Division 22 was established in 1958 as one of the earliest divisions of the American Psychological Association.
The Division 22 history page says early research examined how changes in appearance and physical capacity affect individuals and social relationships, and examined stereotyping and prejudice toward people with disabilities.
The Division 22 timeline records that an American Board of Professional Psychology specialty board in Rehabilitation Psychology was established in 1997.
Division 22 describes itself as an organization of psychologists concerned with the psychological and social consequences of disability, and says rehabilitation psychologists work with people with diverse disabilities and chronic medical conditions across the life span.
Division 22 says rehabilitation psychologists work in acute hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, academic institutions and legislative offices, and in day treatment programs, independent practice and industry.
A 2005 review says rehabilitation psychology gained prominence during and after World War II, when psychologists helped veterans with vocational rehabilitation, guidance and academic counseling.
The review says federal agencies funded conferences for psychologists interested in rehabilitation in 1958 and 1959, and that the Princeton conference proceedings, published by the American Psychological Association, helped lay the foundation for the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology.
The review describes Beatrice Wright's 1960 book on physical disability as among the first theory-driven psychological works on disability.
Where it appears
Professional contexts
Examples show documented structures. They are not a ranking, a census, or a statement about admission or licensing.
In the Psy101 course
- OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 14.3: Stress and IllnessChapter 14, Stress, Lifestyle, and Health. Topic reading. Nearest related reading; direct coverage of this field has not been verified.Nearest textbook reading on stress and illness, including chronic conditions; OpenStax page not opened.
- OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 1.3: Contemporary PsychologyChapter 1, Introduction to Psychology. Application reading. Nearest related reading; direct coverage of this field has not been verified.Nearest textbook reading on contemporary subfields and applied work; OpenStax page not opened.
This is course relevance only. It is not evidence for the historical or practice claims on this page.See the full course map.
Sources and inspection
3 of 3 sources were opened and read at the level shown. A source marked as not verified supports no claim on this page by itself.
- [1]Division 22 history (Rehabilitation Psychology background and timeline)APA Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology, undated. Society history. Supports the history.Selected text readRead the background list and Division 22 timeline; the page names no individuals.
- [2]Membership OverviewAPA Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology, undated. Professional association. Supports the definition of the area.Selected text readRead the membership overview covering the division's description, members and settings.
- [3]Revisiting a Constructive Classic: Wright's Physical Disability: A Psychosocial ApproachRehabilitation Psychology, 50(2), authors Dana S. Dunn and Timothy R. Elliott, via PubMed Central, 2005. Review article. Supports the history.Selected text readRead the abstract and the historical background; the review of the book's contents was not read in full.
Independent source review: Claude Code reviewer agent, separate from the writer, 2026-10-21. Verdict: Admitted after corrections. Of 8 claims checked, 8 were supported as written, 0 were reworded and 0 were removed.