Published In

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2016

Subjects

People with disabilities -- Psychology, Positive psychology -- Philosophical aspects, Chronic diseases -- Psychological aspects, Adjustment (Psychology)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the conceptual and clinical similarities that exist between the principles of positive psychology and those underlying rehabilitation counseling and psychology, occupational rehabilitation, and those espoused by the field of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID). Methods: Three themes were selected for review. These included the historical contributions of early scholars in the area of psychosocial adaptation to CID that later were indirectly infused into mainstream positive psychology; state and trait constructs that constitute much of the infrastructure of positive psychology and psychosocial adaptation to CID; and, finally, the philosophical congruencies between positive psychology and psychosocial adaptation to CID. Conclusion: The existing literature indicates that there is a substantial philosophical and conceptual overlap between the fields of positive psychology and psychosocial adaptation to CID. Since theoreticians and researchers, from both fields, often use differing terminology and definitions to describe similar concepts, as well as seek similar research goals, it would behoove both fields to seek a closer partnership in order to establish a meaningful dialogue that focuses on human strengths and virtues in the lives of people with CID.

Rights

Copyright © 2015, Springer Science Business Media New York

To the best of our knowledge, this work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government.

DOI

10.1007/s10926-015-9601-6

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/17584

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