Indiana Social Security Disability Attorney Blog
Over the next several blog entries, the topic of mental illnesses in Social Security Disability Cases will be discussed. Many people have asked whether depression, anxiety (which includes panic disorders, post traumatic stress, obsessive/compulsive disorder and agoraphobia) and bi polar disorder can serve as the basis for an award of social security disability. The short answer is yes, mental disorders can make a person disabled.
According to the National Institute Mental Health, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. That said, a diagnosis by itself does not necessarily mean that a person is disabled. For example, an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. That is over 57 million citizens. However, not every one of these person is disabled.
Make no mistake, the federal regulations for social security disability do allow for a finding of disability for mental illnesses. The blogs that follow will explore what the criteria is for a finding of disability based on mental disorders.
