New Depression/Bipolar Listing

In our continuing effort to provide information related to Social Security’s new listings on mental impairments we are going to look at changes made to the listing depression and bipolar disorder. And, as just a reminder, Social Security’s set of listings are used in evaluating disability claims judging a condition’s severity and how it limits a person’s ability to function. We will post the current listing for depression and bipolar disorder followed by the new listing, which will take effect January 17, 2017.

Current Depression/Bipolar Disorder Listing

12.04 Affective disorders: Characterized by a disturbance of mood, accompanied by a full or partial manic or depressive syndrome. Mood refers to a prolonged emotion that colors the whole psychic life; it generally involves either depression or elation.

The required level of severity for these disorders are met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied, or when the requirements in C are satisfied.

 

  1. Medically documented persistence, either continuous or intermittent, of one of the following:
  2. Depressive syndrome characterized by at least four of the following:
  3. Anhedonia or pervasive loss of interest in almost all activities; or
  4. Appetite disturbance with change in weight; or
  5. Sleep disturbance; or
  6. Psychomotor agitation or retardation; or
  7. Decreased energy; or
  8. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness; or
  9. Difficulty concentrating or thinking; or
  10. Thoughts of suicide; or
  11. Hallucinations, delusions, or paranoid thinking; or
  12. Manic syndrome characterized by at least three of the following:
  13. Hyperactivity; or
  14. Pressure of speech; or
  15. Flight of ideas; or
  16. Inflated self-esteem; or
  17. Decreased need for sleep; or
  18. Easy distractibility; or
  19. Involvement in activities that have a high probability of painful consequences which are not recognized; or
  20. Hallucinations, delusions or paranoid thinking; or
  21. Bipolar syndrome with a history of episodic periods manifested by the full symptomatic picture of both manic and depressive syndromes (and currently characterized by either or both syndromes);

AND

  1. Resulting in at least two of the following:
  2. Marked restriction of activities of daily living; or
  3. Marked difficulties in maintaining social functioning; or
  4. Marked difficulties in maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace; or
  5. Repeated episodes of decompensation, each of extended duration;

OR

  1. Medically documented history of a chronic affective disorder of at least 2 years’ duration that has caused more than a minimal limitation of ability to do basic work activities, with symptoms or signs currently attenuated by medication or psychosocial support, and one of the following:
  2. Repeated episodes of decompensation, each of extended duration; or
  3. A residual disease process that has resulted in such marginal adjustment that even a minimal increase in mental demands or change in the environment would be predicted to cause the individual to decompensate; or
  4. Current history of 1 or more years’ inability to function outside a highly supportive living arrangement, with an indication of continued need for such an arrangement.

New Depression/Bipolar Disorder Listing

12.04 Depressive, bipolar and related disorders (see 12.00B3), satisfied by A and B, or A and C:

  1. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1 or 2:
  2. Depressive disorder, characterized by five or more of the following:
  3. Depressed mood;
  4. Diminished interest in almost all activities;
  5. Appetite disturbance with change in weight;
  6. Sleep disturbance;
  7. Observable psychomotor agitation or retardation;
  8. Decreased energy
  9. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
  10. Difficulty concentrating or thinking; or
  11. Thoughts of death or suicide.
  12. Bipolar disorder, characterized by three or more of the following:
  13. Pressured speech;
  14. Flight of ideas;
  15. Inflated self-esteem;
  16. Decreased need for sleep;
  17. Distractibility;
  18. Involvement in activities that have a high probability of painful consequences that are not recognized;

or g . Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation

AND

  1. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F):
  2. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1).
  3. Interact with others (see 12.00E2).
  4. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).
  5. Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4).

OR

  1. Your mental disorder in this listing category is “serious and persistent;” that is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
  2. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder (see 12.00G2b); and
  3. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 12.00G2c).