When Does Social Security See Depression as a Disability?
The SSA lists depression in its “blue book” of impairments that can qualify for disability benefits, so it recognizes how depression can make it impossible to work and support yourself.
To meet the requirements of listing 12.04 for depressive, bipolar and related disorders, you must first show that you suffer from five or more of the following symptoms:
- Depressed mood
- Appetite disturbance with weight changes
- Sleep disturbances
- Diminished interest in most activities
- Decreased energy
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Agitated movement or slowed movement
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Then you must meet one of two additional standards:
- You are extremely limited in one or at least markedly limited in two of these areas:
- Being able to process and apply information
- Relating well to other people
- Concentrating on tasks, persisting in work and staying on pace
- Adapting to events around you and regulating your behavior
- The other option is to show your depression is “serious and persistent,” which means medical documentation of at least two years of struggle and evidence that:
- You’ve received medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial supports or help in structured setting that is ongoing and diminishes symptoms of your depression.
- You still have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or demands that aren’t typical in your daily routine.
You can still qualify for benefits even if you don’t meet these exact standards. In that case, you must show that you meet the Social Security definition of disability: being unable to work because of your individual symptoms and the limitations in basic work activities that they cause.
Your disability claim hinges on your residual functional capacity, or RFC. Simply put, it’s the measure of what you can still do every day, even with depression limiting you.
As part of assessing RFC, Social Security divides types of work into five categories based on how physically taxing they are: sedentary, light, medium, heavy and very heavy work.
Social Security looks for answers about your current capabilities and whether you could do any kind of job on their scale.
Can you remember information and carry out instructions? Can you stay focused on your job for extended periods? Can you work cooperatively with coworkers or interact with customers? Can you attend work regularly?
To win disability benefits, you need to show you can’t do any kind of work, even light or sedentary work, because your mental health symptoms interfere too severely, too often and for too long.
Our St. George disability lawyers can help you make this argument.
Get started with a FREE depression disability claim evaluation.
What Kind of Evidence Do I Need for a Depression Disability Claim?
Simply saying that you suffer from depression won’t be enough when you apply for disability benefits.
We all know that everyone feels depressed or down at one time or another in life. But disabling depression is another matter altogether. You need objective evidence to back up your disability claim and make it clear how your symptoms make it impossible to work.
Evidence for a depression disability claim can include:
- Records of the diagnosis from your doctor
- Results of psychological or psychiatric evaluations
- Documentation of your individual symptoms, their severity and how they’ve improved or worsened over time
- Information about all the treatments you’ve tried and their effectiveness
- Your doctor’s assessment of your everyday functioning
- A list of prescription medications you take, their dosages, their effectiveness and side effects
- Evidence of disruption to your work, like frequent missed days or the need for reduced workloads
- Statements from friends, family members and neighbors who have witnessed your struggle
This evidence can help you show that your symptoms are debilitating—not occasional sadness, but truly life-altering depression—despite years of effort to get help and feel better.
Gathering this evidence takes work. You may have a lot of information to organize, especially if you’ve seen multiple doctors over the years.
Let the disability lawyers of Barnes Disability Advocates ease your burden on this crucial part of your SSD application.
When to Talk to a Utah Disability Lawyer
Some disability law firms will tell you to apply for SSD on your own and come back if you get denied disability benefits. That’s not how our team operates.
Our St. George disability lawyers want to help you build your case for Social Security Disability benefits from the very beginning.
The team at Barnes Disability Advocates can:
- Take the time to really listen to your story and understand how your symptoms affect your life
- Help you fill out SSA application forms
- Identify evidence that strengthens your depression disability claim
- Help you avoid common mistakes that result in delays or denials
- Answer questions you have at any point in the disability claims process
- Help you appeal if you get denied
- Keep you aware of any important deadlines
- Represent you at your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge
Winning disability benefits for mental health issues like depression is challenging, but it’s a bit easier to go through this process with an experienced Utah Social Security Disability attorney.
We’ve helped thousands of people in St. George, Salt Lake City, Lehi and across the state of Utah secure life-changing benefits. In Social Security’s own reports on top disability representatives, Barnes Disability Advocates is one of the top disability firms in Utah based on how much we win for our clients.
The initial consultation is free and there’s no obligation, so just talking to us about your situation won’t cost you anything.
Explore your options and see if you’re eligible for disability benefits that could help you get back on the road to financial independence.
Do You Want to Know More About Our Disability Lawyers in Utah?
Barnes Disability also helps with long-term disability claims when you have a private insurance policy to protect your finances if you lose the ability to work. Our disability attorneys have decades of experience and a mission to help everyday people find peace and dignity in difficult times.
