Handbook of Rehabilitation Psychology. 2nd ed. Robert G. Frank, Mitchell Rosenthal, and Bruce Caplan, eds. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010. 504 pages, $99.95, ISBN-13 978-1-4338-0444-1, ISBN-10: 1-4338-0444-1.

For approximately 70 years, rehabilitation psychology has been a recognizable specialty area of practice. Over that time period, the field has grown to impact a wide variety of rehabilitation and medical populations through clinical work and research. To address the growing interest in the field exemplified by the number of individuals pursuing diplomate status from American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology and recognition by related specialties, such as health psychology and clinical neuropsychology, the Handbook of Rehabilitation Psychology was published by American Psychological Association in 2000. It was quickly recognized to be the most influential text in the field.1 As the field has continued to develop over the decade, an updated version was warranted and, thus, the second edition of the Handbook has been published. This second edition is an expansion of the earlier edition, with the addition of several new topic areas relevant to the field. However, of note, it does not include some important topics that were covered in the first edition. As noted by the editors, the limited space led them not to include some topics in which there have been few advances in the understanding of the area since the first edition. Thus, to some degree, this second edition can be viewed as an adjunct text to the first edition and both Handbooks remain important references for the field. This is potentially a weakness of the Handbook, because it necessitates the purchase of both editions.

The second edition of the Handbook has 34 chapters organized within 6 main topic areas: clinical conditions, assessment, clinical interventions, pediatrics, emerging topics for rehabilitation psychology, and professional issues. The chapters in part I include discussion of the core rehabilitation populations, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, limb amputation, chronic pain, burn injuries, multiple sclerosis, and geriatrics. Part II is a clear adjunct to, rather than replacement of the first edition offering new discussion of the important topics of functional status and quality of life, forensic issues, the practice of neuropsychology in the rehabilitation setting, assessment of personality and psychopathology in rehabilitation populations, and the role of neuroimaging. Similarly, part III provides summaries of what is known in the field regarding interventions with rehabilitation populations, including important updates about substance abuse issues in populations with disabilities, psychotherapeutic interventions to promote adjustment and improved life participation, and the engagement of family caregivers in the process, and new models of interventions using assistive technology and cognitive rehabilitation. Part IV focuses on pediatric rehabilitation populations and the unique issues that arise when developmental or acquired disability is present in childhood. Part V offers a hodgepodge of topics relevant to the practices of rehabilitation psychology, including theoretical perspectives on disability, rehabilitation from the perspective of social psychology and the woman's experience, and the application of positive psychology models, including spirituality. The chapters in part V also offer a review of vocational rehabilitation issues, approaches to prevention, assessment and management of work-related injury and disability, and a crucial update on the role of neural plasticity in the rehabilitation process. Finally, part VI includes some of the key professional issues that are relevant to those that work within the field, including the main ethical considerations, the impact of healthcare policy, working within the rehabilitation team, the potential critical role that the leadership of rehabilitation psychologists can have on the nation's healthcare organizations, and the main competencies of the rehabilitation psychologist.

Despite the breath of topics included in the second edition of the Handbook, it should be noted that the perspectives offered are primarily American. Although some of the chapters touch on research from other cultural perspectives, there is minimal attention paid to how the rehabilitation and recovery process and the experience of and approach to disability are similar or different in other countries, cultures, and ethnic groups. As such, researchers and clinicians from other countries may find this text of use and directly applicable to some aspects of their work but perhaps not to all areas per se. In addition, given that America is a multicultural and multiethnic nation and that many individuals from other countries seek out medical and rehabilitation care in the United States, it is somewhat surprising that there is only cursory discussion of the impact of differences in cultural and ethnic backgrounds on the rehabilitation process and conceptualization of disability. Chwalisz and Dollinger give it the most attention in their discussion of evidenced-based practice with family caregivers in chapter 18. Despite "awareness and sensitivity to multicultural factors" being a competency domain listed in chapter 34 ("Competencies of a Rehabilitation Psychologist"), this text does not offer a solid discussion of this important topic. Those interested to learn more about the role of cultural and ethnicity in the rehabilitation process and the conceptualization of disability will need to turn to other resources.2,3

Overall, this text provides a solid overview of the key populations and clinical and professional issues that are relevant in the field of rehabilitation psychology and, thus, it can serve as a desk reference that will be picked up often. The chapters in the Handbook are deeply rooted in research and theory as the editors have pulled together some of the most prominent researchers and clinicians in the field of rehabilitation psychology as contributors for this book. When necessary, opinions are offered on the basis of current knowledge in the specialty areas with suggestions for future directions for research. Although the chapters are rather text-heavy with few tables or figures, they are well-written with clear recognition that the readership may come from a variety of backgrounds. Thus, new clinicians and experienced rehabilitation psychologists alike will easily be able to glean important understanding for each topic area discussed. Given the relevance of biopsychosocial issues to the field of rehabilitation at large, the Handbook is a great reference for all rehabilitation professionals, such as rehabilitation therapists and physiatrists. The Handbook could easily serve as the main text for graduate coursework in rehabilitation psychology as well as a desk reference for experienced clinicians. And it will be an important reference for those who are considering pursuing board certification in this specialty field.

-Kathleen B. Kortte, PhD, ABCN, ABRP

Program Director

The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Neurorehabilitation

Program

Assistant Professor

Division of Rehabilitation Psychology and

Neuropsychology

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore,

Maryland

REFERENCES