The Mental Health Needs of the Severely Physically Disabled

Severely physically disabled individuals, advocates for the disabled, and rehabilitation and mental health professionals were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the need for services for 12 mental health problems encountered by persons with physical disability and the kinds of services needed. All groups surveyed agreed that vocational, social-interpersonal, personal-emotional, self-concept, ad marital-family problems were in greatest need of services, but their perceptions of the extent of service need for each of the 12 problems differed significantly. The groups unanimously perceived rehabiitation counseling as the most needed service but differed significantly in their perception of the extent of service need for other services that were also highly rated, such as family, group, and individual therapy; peer counseling; respite care; and social skills training. The groups unanimously agreed that services designed to treat major mental illness were the least needed.