Step 1: Confirm Recognized Mental Health Conditions

The SSA accepts various mental health diagnoses such as:

• Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and major depression are commonly recognized.
• Symptoms must be severe enough to disrupt your ability to work and perform daily activities.
• All diagnoses must come from qualified mental health professionals.

Step 2: Meet the Duration and Severity Standards

Your condition must:

• Persist or be expected to last at least 12 months without significant improvement.
• Include objective medical evidence, such as treatment records and psychological evaluations.
• Show a marked impact on your ability to maintain social functioning and concentration.

Step 3: Fulfill Work Credits for Eligibility

To qualify for SSDI, you must have:

• Earned sufficient work credits through Social Security-covered employment.
• Generally, you need about 20 credits in the last 10 years, but this varies based on age.
• Credits reflect the amount of time worked before your disability began.

Step 4: SSA’s Functional Capacity Evaluation

The SSA will:

• Review all medical records and opinions concerning your mental limitations.
• Assess your ability to perform work-related tasks despite your impairment.
• Determine if you can adjust to other types of employment given your mental health status.

Common Challenges in Mental Health Disability Claims

Key reasons claims may be denied include:

• Insufficient or incomplete medical documentation from mental health providers.
• Mild or intermittent symptoms that don’t meet the SSA’s disability standards.
• Failure to comply with SSA-requested evaluations or treatments.
• Lack of the necessary work history or credits.