Work

Mental health professional graduate and postgraduate training in disability.

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: People with disabilities (PWD) are nearly five times more likely to experience mental distress than people without disabilities. Despite this elevated risk, many mental health professionals report feeling unprepared to work with PWD, possibly due to limited disability-focused training. The objective of the current study was to assess disability-focused content in graduate and postgraduate training programs for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: = 191) reported on the presence and amount of coursework/training to diagnose, assess, and treat psychiatric disorders among PWD. RESULTS: < .001) of disability-focused content significantly predicted perceived student preparedness to work with PWD. A sensitivity analysis excluding potentially duplicate responses confirmed the robustness of these findings. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATION: Findings highlight substantial gaps in disability-focused training within mental health programs and suggest that increasing disability-focused content may enhance faculty-perceived clinician preparedness to work with PWD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Rehabilitation Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/rep0000688

Authors: Kelly E. Ferreira, Owen Vegas, William J. Smith, Tara M. Lutz

Institutions: Trinity College, Trinity College, UConn Health

Language: English

Topic: Counseling Practices and Supervision

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living