Can i receive ssi for depression

You may file an appeal and have a hearing before an administrative judge. Many people whose applications were denied are often awarded benefits by these judges. You might wish to consult a Social Security disability benefits attorney or other professional to guide you through the complex hearings and appeals process.

It usually takes about 22 months from the time you apply for benefits until you get a hearing. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness.

About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness. Your Journey Family Members and Caregivers. Your Journey Identity and Cultural Dimensions. Your Journey Frontline Professionals. Get Involved Become a Fundraiser. Get Involved Awareness Events. Get Involved Share Your Story. Get Involved Partner with Us. The purpose of the list is to be able to grant disability quickly for severe impairments. Clinical depression is covered in Social Security's impairment listing The listing includes a set of symptoms and a list of functional problems you must have to qualify for either Social Security disability or SSI disability benefits on the basis of depression.

First, you must show you have severe depression by having at least five of the following symptoms:. In addition to having at least five of the above symptoms, you must also meet "functional" criteria to show that you have a loss of abilities due to the mental disorder. Generally, you must have an extreme limitation in at least one of the following areas, or a "marked" limitation in at least two of the following areas:.

Let's review what Social Security looks at to decide whether your limitations are severe enough to rise to the level of a disability.

First, a marked limitation in understanding, remembering, and applying information refers to being seriously limited in the abilities to learn, recall, and use information to perform work activities, including in being able to do the following:. Second, a marked limitation in interacting with others refers to being seriously limited in the abilities to relate to and work with supervisors, co-workers, and the public, including being able to:.

Third, a marked limitation in concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace refers to being seriously limited in the abilities to focus attention on work activities and to stay on-task at a sustained rate, including the abilities to:. Finally, a marked limitation in adapting and managing oneself refers to being seriously limited in the abilities to regulate emotions, control behavior, and maintain well-being in a work setting, including the following abilities:.

Remember that to meet the standard listing, you must have an extreme limitation in one of the above areas or a marked limitation in two of the above areas. Social Security provides another way to meet the listing for depression for those who can't show they currently have the functional limitations above because they've been living in a highly structured or protected situation or undergoing intense therapy.

If you are in this situation, you may be able to meet a second set of functional criteria. You can do this if your disorder has been medically documented as serious and persistent over a period of at least two years and you have either been living in a highly structured setting or you've been receiving ongoing medical treatment, mental health therapy, or psychosocial support that diminishes the symptoms of your mental disorder. You must also show that you have little ability to adapt to demands that are not already part of your daily life or to changes in your environment.

This second set of functional criteria recognizes that there are some people who may not be showing symptoms, such as not handling criticism well or not maintaining personal hygiene, because they live in a highly protected and supervised situation that makes their functional abilities appear better than would be the case in real-life situations, where the stress and demands on them would be greater. In Social Security's words, their condition is "marginal," in that they aren't expected to be able to perform the work if put in a work-like environment.

In some cases, a person can fulfill this second set of criteria by attempting to return to work and failing. Meeting the requirements of the clinical depression listing, above, isn't the only way to receive an approval for disability though it is the most common. If Social Security finds that your depression isn't severe enough to meet the listing above, the agency will determine if you can be approved for benefits by being granted a "medical-vocational allowance.

Social Security will then give you a rating of the type of work it thinks you can do skilled work, semi-skilled work, or unskilled work. If depression is the only impairment you listed on the disability application, getting disability will be a long shot unless you have severe, disabling depression and can qualify under the listing for depression.

Back to all Practice Areas According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression is characterized by a constant depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities. Individuals with depression experience many of the following symptoms: Depressed mood most of the day, every day Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities Weight loss or weight gain Insomnia or hyposomnia Psychomotor agitation Fatigue Feeling of worthlessness Difficulty concentrating and indecisiveness Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide Social Security has recognized that these symptoms may be severe enough to prevent you from being able to work.

Keep a detailed journal, including a calendar of notes about how you feel each day. Record any usual activities you could not do on any given day. Keep a detailed history of your current and past medications.