APA Policies, Standards, and Guidelines

Current national consensus on the diagnostic criteria defining intellectual disability, the clinical approach to assessing deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, as well as age of onset of these deficits, and factors to consider when conducting a determination of intellectual disability in a forensic context. Approved by APA Council of Representatives, August 2026.

Updates the 2011 APA Resolution on Family Caregivers, incorporating contemporary psychological research, practice, education, and advocacy to meet the needs of today’s family caregivers across their lifespan and various care settings. Approved by APA Council of Representatives, August 2026.

Delineate recommended competencies to help educators and training programs prepare graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows to provide psychological services in primary care. Approved by APA Council of Representatives, August 2026

Petition gives guidance to the types and amounts of information necessary for a formal decision to be reached on psychology specialties.

Learn how to gain peer review experience by co-reviewing a manuscript with a senior colleague and check out a list of tips as you prepare your review.

Sexual health, personal self-esteem, and the ability to participate in responsible, caring, and stable relationships.

Major disasters pose profound psychological and physical risks to communities nationally and disproportionately result in inequities for vulnerable populations.

A policy approved by APA's Council of Representatives that defines the role of psychology in providing palliative care and addressing end‐of‐life issues.

The APA’s 2026 resolution reaffirms its commitment to advancing psychological theory, practice, education, research, and policy through comprehensive global perspectives.

APA 'stands for human rights and the psychological and physical health and well-being of all people worldwide.'

APA condemns all antisemitic attitudes and actions, and will use its influence to promote fairness, respect, and dignity for all people, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

APA Publishing is committed to ensuring publications are accessible to all, guided by the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the European Accessibility Act, and APA’s broader equity, diversity, and inclusion framework.

The following standards and guidelines have been reviewed following the procedures detailed in Association Rule 30-8 and approved by the APA Council of Representatives as APA policy.

Considerations for comprehensive patient care, such as developing transition databases or implementing targeted interventions, which require practical resources and institutional and financial support.

This framework represents best practices in the field of health care transition, transferring a patient from pediatric to adult care

Encourages the reconciliation of traditional wisdom from around the world with knowledge derived from psychological research to enable a more inclusive, culturally relevant approach to understanding human behavior and wellbeing.

The guidelines help psychologists understand how a trauma history and posttraumatic symptoms can increase the complexity of the clinical presentation, evaluation results, and course of treatment.

This policy statement supports APA's commitment to justice, human rights, fairness, and dignity for all, recognizing these values as central to psychology.

This policy statement supports APA's commitment to justice, human rights, fairness, and dignity for all, recognizing these values as central to psychology.

Combating the stigma and discrimination of ableism aligns with APA’s commitment to using psychological science to benefit society and improve lives.

Combating the stigma and discrimination of ableism aligns with APA’s commitment to using psychological science to benefit society and improve lives.

APA declares that the development and implementation of a national strategy to prevent and treat the psychological sequelae of exposure of children and their families to disasters is a matter of the highest priority and supports the establishment of policies to maintain their psychological well-being.

These guidelines assist psychologists in their work with patients who have experienced past or current traumatic stress from historical, intergenerational, and community-based situations.

APA declares that the development and implementation of a national strategy to prevent and treat the psychological sequelae of exposure of children and their families to disasters is a matter of the highest priority and supports the establishment of policies to maintain their psychological well-being.

The guidelines presented in this document are intended to provide a resource for psychologists interested in factors related to optimal practice in pharmacotherapy.