Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability: A Primer for Counselors

• Published in: Journal of counseling and development Vol. 83; no. 1; pp. 12 - 20
• Main Authors: Livneh, Hanoch, Antonak, Richard F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005; American Counseling Association; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation; Basic Skills; Cancer; Cerebral Palsy; Chronic diseases; Chronic Illness; Chronic illnesses; Congenital Impairments; Coping; Counseling; Counselling; Disabilities; Disability; Grief; Identity; Injuries; Intervention; Medical Services; Perceptions; Physical Disabilities; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Self Actualization; Self Concept; Self esteem; Self image; Sick; Sick persons; Social psychology; Withdrawal (Psychology); United States
• ISSN: 0748-9633; 1556-6676
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6678.2005.tb00575.x

In this article, the authors discuss 3 broad domains of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability. These include the dynamics (basic concepts, psychosocial responses, and coping strategies) typically associated with the process of adaptation to disabling conditions, assessment of adaptation as evidenced by 6 commonly used measures, and intervention strategies applied to facilitating coping with and adaptation to chronic illness and disability.