A comparison of rehabilitation psychology interest groups in Ireland and the USA

The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) Rehabilitation Psychology Special Interest Group (RPSIG) has had a relatively short history, having been founded in 2004. This is in contrast to Division 22 – Rehabilitation Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA), which was established in 1958 and was one of the first divisions of APA. In the context of the 40th Anniversary of the PSI and the call for articles on the history of the Society and its subgroups, the aim of this article is to reflect on the RPSIG in comparison to the APA Division. Apart from the age difference, the Irish SIG has a significantly smaller membership than its American counterpart and reflects a much narrower range of interests. Recognising the influence of the broader context this article will also compare the extent to which the field of rehabilitation psychology has developed in the USA where it has its own board of professional accreditation since 1995 with the current level of development and status in Ireland. Some conclusions are drawn in relation to the potential future directions for the RPSIG.