Psychological Adaptation to Disability

Abstract

The process of psychological adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID) has been extensively studied by rehabilitation professionals for more than 50 years, yet it is still fraught with misunderstanding and often contradictory views. In this paper, the authors seek to expand on earlier suggestions by Parker, Schaller, and Hansmann (2003) and on recent applications in the field of psychology to demonstrate the potential usefulness of chaos and complexity theory (CCT) to understanding the psychosocial adaptation process to CID. In accordance, we (a) provide an overview of the most popular models of psychosocial adaptation to CID, (b) review the main elements of CCT, (c) discuss the current beliefs on the linkage between CCT and psychological reactions to stress and crisis, and (d) offer preliminary suggestions on the application of CCT to the adaptation process in CID and to rehabilitation-related interventions.