The Development of Disability in Community Psychology Research

Presented by Robert E. Gutierrez& Christopher B. Keys

Department of PsychologyDePaul University

AbstractAs in many fields, conceptualizations of disability have shifted and evolved within the field of community psychology. The current study aimed to capture the historic inclusion of disability groups over the first 35 years of community psychology research. Articles published in the American Journal of Community Psychology and the Journal of Community Psychology from 1973 to 2007 were coded for the inclusion of research populations within a broad definition of disabilities. In order to capture studies which include persons with disabilities as well as studies of services for persons with disabilities, regardless of the articles definition of disability or lack thereof, the current study included any article which fit its broad definition. This included articles dealing with, sensory, developmental, physical and cognitive disabilities. The resulting findings demonstrate the evolution not only of concepts of disability but of community psychology as a field.

Disability as Human Diversity

Traditionally disability has largely been ignored as a component of diversity and instead has been addressed solely from a medical or rehabilitation approach.

Researchers have pointed out mainstream psychology's failure to consider disability populations in an inclusive, productive manner as well as the potential for community psychology as a perfect venue for such an undertaking (Dowrick & Keys, 2001; Lawthom & Goodley, 2005)

The StudyA group of coders examined each article of AJCP and JCP from 1975 to 2005 for the population served.

•This coding utilized an emergent coding scheme•Coders recorded the each article’s participants and/or service recipients•These codes were later aggregated into more generalizable codes representing populations •Inclusion criteria-- Articles included:

▫ One or more disability populations or▫ services targeted towards a disability population.

Traditional Disability PopulationsIncluded in the articles coded for disability populations and services

4 “traditional” disability populations arose:

1.Cognitive developmental disabilities (45 articles)2.Physical disabilities (20 articles) 3.Sensory disabilities (3 articles) 4.Disabilities not otherwise specified (8 articles)

Discussed disabilities in general or generalized across disability populations

Based on these 4 populations, disabilities comprises less than 3% of the total community psychology literature (77 articles)

Cognitive/Developmental Disabilities

  Number of Articles

Percent of Cognitive/Developmental Disability Articles

Total Cognitive and Developmental 45 100%People with Developmental Disabilities

30 65.22%

People with Learning Disabilities 8 17.39%People with Intellectual Disabilities 6 15.22%People with Brain Damage 1 2.17%

Cognitive/developmental disabilities made up• 1.50% all community psychology

literature • 58.44% of articles coded for disability

Physical Disabilities•Made up only 0.67% of all community

articles •Represented a quarter of all disability

articles•Only half dealt with a specific physical

disability

  

Number of Articles

Percent of Physical Disability Articles

Total Physical Disability 20  People with Physical Handicaps(not otherwise specified)

10 50.00%

People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 3 15.00%People Musculoskeletal Disorders 2 10.00%People with Obesity 2 10.00%People with Multiple Sclerosis 1 5.00%People with Spina Bifida 1 5.00%People with Fibromyalgia Syndrome 1 5.00%

Sensory Disabilities•The smallest sector of the disability

literature •Only 3 articles appeared in AJCP and JCP

between 1973 and 2007 specifically addressed sensory disabilities.▫2 on deafness ▫1 on blindness

Inclusion over Time

Intersection Domains Number of Articles

Gender and Physical Disability 5Race and Cognitive/Developmental Disability 2

Race, Gender, and Disability 2Gender and Disability (General) 1Race and Disability (General) 1Race, Gender, and Cognitive/Developmental Disability 1Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Disability 1Total Intersections 13

Disability & Other Domains of Diversity

Of all articles focused on disability populations, only 17% dealt with other domains of diversity as well.

Discussion: Understanding Community Psychology’s inclusion of disabilities

Cognitive and developmental disabilities’ decrease over time seems to mirror two larger developments

1.The funding for deinstitutionalization and developing community services available in the 70s and early 80s.

2.Community Psychology’s divergence from clinical psychology

Reflection: Understanding Community Psychology’s inclusion of disabilities

Overall inclusion of disabilities has decreased over the last 10 years

•The decrease in cognitive/developmental disabilities does not, by itself, explain the overall decline•The growth and decline of physical disabilities

• ADA Battles?• Community Psychology membership• Disability Studies

Moving Forward• This study does not address the inclusion of

psycho-emotional disabilities and services• An inclusive definition of disabilities would

include these populations, however they represent a number of conceptual challenges.

• With this in mind, future studies hope to; ▫ Build an understanding of community

psychology’s inclusion of psycho-emotional disabilities

▫ Illuminate the role of disability perspectives within community psychology’s inclusion of mental health populations and services

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