Affiliations: [a]
Department of Rehabilitation, Communication Disorders, and Human Resources, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| [b]
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Julie Hill, Department of Rehabilitation, Communication Disorders, and Human Resources, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. E-mail: jch029@email.uark.edu.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Approximately 100 million Americans live with chronic pain. These individuals are often negatively affected by the many myths, misunderstandings, and stigma associated with chronic pain and its treatment. These negative attitudes and misunderstandings on the part of the general public, significant others, vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals, and health care providers can exacerbate their pain, preclude them from receiving effective treatment and rehabilitation, and undermine their overall quality of life. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this article is to examine ethical considerations for providing responsive VR services that validate and appropriately address the needs of individuals with chronic pain. CONCLUSION:The authors (a) define chronic pain, (b) provide examples of chronic illnesses and disabilities associated with chronic pain, (c) examine the demographic characteristics of individuals with the highest rates of chronic pain, (d) discuss common myths about chronic pain, and (e) discuss sections in the 2017 Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors that are especially relevant to providing services to this growing VR clientele.
Keywords: Ethics, chronic pain, vocational rehabilitation, code of ethics
