Oxford University Press, 2014. 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.
