SSD Benefits, Depression, and Mental Testing

Depression is seen quite often on applications for social security disability and SSI. And like every other physical and mental impairment, depression is evaluated in terms of its ability to reduce or eliminate an individual's ability to work, either at a job they've done in the past, or at some form of other work.

This, of course, means that a person filing for disability must have their medical records evaluated to determine their restrictions and what they are still capable of doing (known as their residual functional capacity). It also means that when the records obtained for a claimant do not provide enough information, the claimant may be requested to go to some form of testing.

For physical impairments, this testing typically involves going to a physical examination (known as a CE, or consultative examination). For mental impairments, this often means going to some form of mental evaluation (this could include a mental status exam, a psychological CE, which is essentially an IQ test, or a psychiatric exam).

The following page discusses mental exams (testing) that may be required for disability applications in which depression is a featured impairment.

Social Security Disability, Depression, and Mental Testing







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Social Security Disability Secrets











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