Welcome to the Rehabilitation Psychology of Injury, Chronic Illness, and Pain Interest Group

The Rehabilitation Psychology of Injury, Chronic Illness, and pain Interest Group (RPICIPIG) is focused on bringing together psychologists with an interest in the principles, processes and practice of rehabilitation psychology in the context of injury, chronic illness and pain. Psychologists who are involved in the rehabilitation field may work in private practice or in public rehabilitation facilities as part of a multi-, inter- or transdisciplinary team, helping individuals affected by a chronic, traumatic or congenital illness or injury. This may involve contact not only with the injured or ill person but also their family, friends and support networks in order to help the individual achieve optimal physical, cognitive, psychological and social functioning. Psychologists contribute to collaboratively setting and achieving rehabilitation goals that encourage healthy beliefs and behaviours, using evidence-based practice. 

The Rehabilitation Psychology for Injury Chronic Illness and Pain Interest Group (RPIG) came into being at the 2007 APS conference with the purpose of developing a network of psychologists throughout Australia with an interest in professional practice, research, teaching and learning in the specialised field of rehabilitation psychology.

RPIG members are located Australia wide. Our members typically work with individuals who have suffered a transport or work-related injury or illness or have a longstanding medical and/or mental illness or physical disability (e.g. spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, neurological disease, chronic pain, orthopaedic injury, developmental disorders). Rehabilitation settings range from acute/subacute, inpatient hospital to transitional or residential to outpatient or in the home and community-based.

The RPIG executive committee is committed towards developing effective ways to provide support for psychologists working in rehabilitation. We achieve this by:

• Facilitating communication between psychologists working in the rehabilitation field. This includes providing support to those who are newly employed in the area and fostering the cross-fertilisation of ideas between sub-specialties
• Lobbying government and other organisations regarding processes and practice in rehabilitation psychology
• Assisting in the development of professional development activities
• Fostering research links
• Providing best practice resources.

Terms of Reference

1. Rehabilitation Psychology is define as “the application of psychological knowledge and understanding on behalf of individuals with disabilities and society through such activities as research, clinical practice, teaching, public education, development of social policy and advocacy” (American Psychological Association).

2. Areas covered by Rehabilitation Psychology would include: spinal cord injury, neurological conditions, chronic pain, congenital disabilities, burns, visual and auditory impairments, amputation, cardiac rehabilitation, brain injury, speech impairments such as fluency disorders, multi-trauma, congenital or acquired developmental disorder, sever psychiatric disability and life long physical disability.

3. Rehabilitation Psychology has the goal of increasing function and reducing functional disability, activity limitations, and societal participation restrictions of those affected by the conditions outline in 2 above.

4. The purpose of the proposed APS Interest Group in Rehabilitation Psychology is to develop a network of psychologists throughout Australia who are interested in research, teaching and learning, and professional practice in the field of rehabilitation psychology, and:

   • To facilitate communication between psychologists working in this field, particularly providing support to those who are newly employed in the area and enabling cross-fertilisation of ideas between sub-specialties that might otherwise not occur

   • To enable a united voice in representing psychologists in discussions with other professional groups involved in rehabilitation and disability

   • To lobby state and federal government and other organizations regarding psychological issues in the area of rehabilitation

   • To assist in the development of professional development activities for psychologists  in rehabilitation psychology

   • To foster links in research

   • To provide resources on best practice to those interested in psychological factors in rehabilitation