What is a Mental Impairment for Social Security?
The simple answer to this question is any mental condition may be considered a mental impairment by Social Security.
Social Security defines a disabling condition as any physical or mental condition, or conditions, which prevents an individual from performing substantial work activity for twelve months, or is expected to prevent the individual from engaging in substantial work activity for twelve consecutive months. More importantly, Social Security considers an individual's residual functional capacity to be more important than their specific mental impairment. Consequently, any mental condition may be considered a mental impairment by Social Security, if it prevents an individual from performing substantial gainful work activity.
The Social Security disability handbook contains an entire section dedicated to mental impairments, and some of the conditions included in this section are affective disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenic, paranoid and other psychotic disorders, personality disorder, autism, mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, and substance addiction disorders. Each of the aforementioned mental conditions have their own subsection that establishes disability evaluation criteria for that specific mental condition.
What basic criteria does Social Security use to evaluate mental impairments? Social Security uses four basic criteria to evaluate functional limitations imposed by mental impairments: Activities of daily living, the ability to concentrate (and stay on task), social functioning, and episodes of decompensation.
Social Security considers activities of daily living to be everyday chores such as cleaning, paying bills, grooming, shopping, cooking, etc. Social Security considers an individual's ability to initiate and independently perform these activities in an appropriate and effective manner when determining an individual’s residual functional capacity.
Social Security also considers an individual’s ability to get along with family and friends, as well as landlords, employers, and co-workers, when evaluating social function. Evictions, loss of employment, and problems with interpersonal relationships indicate a significant impairment in social functioning, which may affect an individual’s ability to sustain employment.
Social Security must also evaluate an individual’s ability to concentrate and stay on task. Limitations in concentration and persistence are best observed in work or classroom settings.
Social Security may also use psychological evaluations and testing in conjunction with work and classroom performance in evaluating an individual’s ability to concentrate and stay on task. If an individual cannot concentrate or stay on task, it is unlikely that they are able to consistently perform substantial work activity.
Lastly, Social Security must take into consideration an individual’s episodes of decompensation. Episodes of decompensation are periods in which an individual’s mental symptoms have increased or exacerbated. Episodes of decompensation cause an individual to have difficulties maintaining steady employment.
Although the simple answer to this question is that any mental illness may be considered a mental impairment by Social Security, Social Security must take great pains to thoroughly investigate an individual’s functional limitations that have been imposed by a mental impairment (or impairments) when making a disability determination.
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Social Security defines a disabling condition as any physical or mental condition, or conditions, which prevents an individual from performing substantial work activity for twelve months, or is expected to prevent the individual from engaging in substantial work activity for twelve consecutive months. More importantly, Social Security considers an individual's residual functional capacity to be more important than their specific mental impairment. Consequently, any mental condition may be considered a mental impairment by Social Security, if it prevents an individual from performing substantial gainful work activity.
The Social Security disability handbook contains an entire section dedicated to mental impairments, and some of the conditions included in this section are affective disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenic, paranoid and other psychotic disorders, personality disorder, autism, mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, and substance addiction disorders. Each of the aforementioned mental conditions have their own subsection that establishes disability evaluation criteria for that specific mental condition.
What basic criteria does Social Security use to evaluate mental impairments? Social Security uses four basic criteria to evaluate functional limitations imposed by mental impairments: Activities of daily living, the ability to concentrate (and stay on task), social functioning, and episodes of decompensation.
Social Security considers activities of daily living to be everyday chores such as cleaning, paying bills, grooming, shopping, cooking, etc. Social Security considers an individual's ability to initiate and independently perform these activities in an appropriate and effective manner when determining an individual’s residual functional capacity.
Social Security also considers an individual’s ability to get along with family and friends, as well as landlords, employers, and co-workers, when evaluating social function. Evictions, loss of employment, and problems with interpersonal relationships indicate a significant impairment in social functioning, which may affect an individual’s ability to sustain employment.
Social Security must also evaluate an individual’s ability to concentrate and stay on task. Limitations in concentration and persistence are best observed in work or classroom settings.
Social Security may also use psychological evaluations and testing in conjunction with work and classroom performance in evaluating an individual’s ability to concentrate and stay on task. If an individual cannot concentrate or stay on task, it is unlikely that they are able to consistently perform substantial work activity.
Lastly, Social Security must take into consideration an individual’s episodes of decompensation. Episodes of decompensation are periods in which an individual’s mental symptoms have increased or exacerbated. Episodes of decompensation cause an individual to have difficulties maintaining steady employment.
Although the simple answer to this question is that any mental illness may be considered a mental impairment by Social Security, Social Security must take great pains to thoroughly investigate an individual’s functional limitations that have been imposed by a mental impairment (or impairments) when making a disability determination.
Return to:
Additional Posts
Social security definition of disability - When is a person considered disabled?
Social security disability definition - to get social security disability do you have to be permanently disabled?
Social Security disability list of impairments
Social Security Disability - Mental Impairment Qualifications
Social Security Disability SSI and mental conditions as disabilities
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