Mental Health and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Mental health awareness has significantly increased over the past decade, with growing advocacy playing a crucial role in society. This shift is important because mental health has long been overlooked or dismissed, and the increased attention helps to address these long-standing gaps in healthcare coverage, accommodations, and awareness.   

Because diagnosing a mental illness is not as straightforward or as easily detectable through tests like some physical impairments, filing a SSDI claim can be more complex. However, Nyman Turkish is here to guide you through every step of the process. 

Types of Mental Disorders 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes 11 types of mental disorders that may help you qualify for SSDI benefits:  

1. Neurocognitive disorders 
2. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 
3. Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 
4. Intellectual disorders 
5. Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders 
6. Somatic symptom and related disorders 
7. Personality and impulse-control disorders 
8. Autism spectrum disorder 
9. Neurodevelopmental disorders 
10. Eating disorders 
11. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders 
    

The criteria for a mental disorder to be considered a disability by the SSA is based on “severity”.  Determining whether a disorder is severe is a lengthy process. The SSA will consider how the disorder affects your daily life, what triggers symptoms, and how you manage those symptoms. 

Significant medical documentation is required to show a present mental disorder or illness that keeps an individual from working for at least 12 months.  

Neurocognitive Disorders 

Examples of neurocognitive disorders include Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. There must be documentation of cognitive decline from one level of functioning to another in one or more cognitive areas, such as complex attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual-motor skills, or social cognition. 

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders 

Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, such as schizotypal personality disorder or schizoaffective disorder, manifest through symptoms like hallucinations or delusions, disorganized thinking or speech, or disorganized behavior, sometimes referred to as catatonia. Catatonia is a term used in the mental health field to describe abnormal movements, behaviors, and withdrawals. 

Depressive, Bipolar, and Related Disorders 

There are multiple types of depressive disorders, with the most common being persistent depressive disorder and major depressive disorder. Depressive disorders may manifest as a depressed mood, decreased interest in activities, appetite disturbances and weight changes, sleep issues, agitation, low energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating or thinking, or thoughts of death or suicide. 

Bipolar and related disorders are classified alongside depressive disorders and are divided into three main types: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder. These disorders can present symptoms such as pressured speech, rapid thoughts or ideas, inflated self-esteem, reduced need for sleep or lack of sleep, distractibility, rash decision-making, involvement in high-risk activities, increased goal-directed activity, or psychomotor agitation. Most individuals with bipolar disorder experience both manic and depressive episodes. 

Intellectual Disorders 

An intellectual disorder requires medical proof of significantly below-average intelligence, difficulty in self-care or daily functioning, onset before age 22, and an IQ score of 70 or below. Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and developmental delay are examples of intellectual disorders. 

Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders 

Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) are in the same classification but have distinct characteristics. Common symptoms of anxiety disorders include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability or agitation, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. 

More specific panic disorders or agoraphobia present symptoms such as panic attacks combined with persistent concern or disproportionate fear and anxiety about at least two different situations, such as open spaces or being in public. 

However, those with OCD typically report an involuntary and time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive or unwanted thoughts, or repetitive behaviors to ease anxiety.

Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders 

Somatic symptom and related disorders are typically characterized by a persistent obsession with physical symptoms that are not necessarily faked but cannot be fully explained by a medical condition, another mental disorder, drug use, or specific cultural norms. They may also involve intense worry about having or contracting a serious illness that hasn’t been diagnosed. Examples of these disorders include somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and conversion disorder. 

Personality and Impulse-Control Disorders 

Personality and impulse-control disorders show patterns in behavior such as distrust of others, avoidance of social relationships, disregard for others’ rights, unstable relationships, excessive need for attention, feelings of inadequacy, obsession with perfection and order, or impulsive and aggressive outbursts. 

Examples of personality and impulse-control disorders include oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), intermittent explosive disorder (IED), and kleptomania. 

Autism Spectrum Disorders 

Autism spectrum disorder requires documentation of qualitative deficits in verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and social interaction, as well as unusual responses to certain stimuli, a short attention span, and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. 

Neurodevelopmental Disorders 

Neurodevelopmental disorders manifest as frequent distractibility, difficulty sustaining attention, and difficulty organizing tasks, or hyperactive and impulsive behavior, significant difficulties learning and using academic skills, or recurrent movement or vocalization. Some examples of neurodevelopmental disorders are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and communication disorder. 

Eating Disorders 

To prove that an eating disorder is debilitating, there must be documented ongoing changes in eating habits that lead to alterations in food consumption or absorption and result in physical and/or mental health issues. Common types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. 

Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders 

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders require medical documentation of all the following: exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, accident, or violence; subsequent involuntary re-experiencing of the traumatic event, including dreams, memories, or flashbacks; avoidance of external triggers related to the event; disturbances in mood and behavior; and an increase in arousal and reactivity. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorders are types of trauma- and stressor-related disorders. 

Determination of Severity 

In all cases of mental disorders, the medical documentation must have shown the above symptoms in its category and the mental disorder must cause either an extreme limitation in one of these areas, or a marked limitation in two of these areas:  

1. Understand, remember, or apply information  
2. Interact with others  
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace  
4. Adapt or manage oneself

Process 

It is possible to receive SSDI benefits solely based on a mental disorder or psychiatric disability. However, if you are suffering from both a mental and physical impairment or multiple mental disorders, your likelihood of receiving benefits is significantly higher.

Medical Evidence 

The SSA may request that your doctor or care team complete Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) forms. An RFC provides a detailed assessment of how your disability impacts your daily life and work capacity. The SSA may send you out to a psychiatric doctor for an examination at no cost to you in order to get more evidence about your mental disorder.   

The most crucial aspect of filing an SSDI claim is medical evidence. This strengthens your case and improves your chances of receiving benefits. Medical records, including documentation of impairments, doctor’s notes, treatment plans, and personal journal entries of symptoms, should all be gathered and provided as supporting evidence. 

Fierce Advocacy

If you are suffering from a mental disorder that keeps you from working, applying for SSDI benefits might be an option for you.  Our Firm is here to help and is honored to serve you. Contact us for a FREE case evaluation today by visiting our website or calling (877) 529-4773.