How to Get Disability Benefits for Mental Health Illnesses

About a quarter of people who apply for Social Security disability benefits ("claimants") list mental health illnesses or disorders as their primary disabling medical conditions, with even more listing a mental health disorder as a secondary condition. Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders make up the majority of these claims. Other common reasons why people apply include intellectual disability, dementia, schizophrenia, autism, and learning disorders.

No matter what the exact diagnosis is that you've received for your mental illness, if your mental health symptoms keep you from working full-time for at least one year, you can qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, getting disability for a mental health disorder can pose some unique challenges that you should know about before you submit your application for benefits.

Is It Hard to Get Disability for Mental Illness?

According to Social Security's Annual Statistical Reports, about 37% of people receiving SSDI and 58% of people receiving SSI benefits reported a mental health condition or intellectual disability as their reason for their limitations. But getting the award letter typically involves going through several denials first. Only a little more than one-third of all disability applications are approved at the first stage of review, meaning you'll have your best chance of success by appealing to an administrative law judge. Nationally, about half of all disability claims are awarded at the hearing level.

How Do I Get Disability for Mental Health?

When you submit your application for SSDI or SSI, a claims examiner at your state Disability Determination Services office will first review your file to make sure that you meet the financial eligibility requirements for the type of benefit you're applying for. If you've worked long enough to qualify for SSDI or have assets below the threshold limit for SSI, the examiner will request medical records from the providers you listed in your application.

Make sure to provide Social Security with the names, dates of service, and contact information for all the psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors you've seen for your mental health disorder. Be thorough—you don't want to leave out key treatment records from a doctor who could be instrumental in deciding your claim.

What Medical Records Does Social Security Need to Review to Prove Mental Illness?

Your medical records are the foundation of your disability claim. Social Security will want to see that you've been getting regular treatment for your mental health symptoms. Your records should contain most, if not all, of the following:

• progress notes from your psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or counselor that contain their observations on how you feel and act during your visit (such as whether you're tearful, angry, or withdrawn)
• mental status evaluations documenting any abnormalities in your thinking (like forgetfulness or distractibility)
• a list of medications that you're taking for your mental health, including any side effects, and
• admission and discharge records from any inpatient hospitalizations.

If you have trouble getting consistent mental health treatment because you don't have health insurance or can't get any affordable treatment options, Social Security can send you to a consultative examination on the agency's dime. During a consultative exam, a psychologist or psychiatrist asks you questions about your daily life and your medical history. Based on the exam, the doctor will provide Social Security with an opinion about how serious your mental health symptoms are.

Getting SSDI or SSI Disability Benefits by Meeting a Mental Illness Listing

Claimants whose medical records contain evidence of particularly intense mental illness symptoms can qualify for disability benefits without having to go through the added step of showing that they can't do any job. In Social Security lingo, this is called "meeting a listed impairment."

Listed impairments are conditions that the SSA has already determined to be disabling, provided that specific criteria are met. Mental illnesses have their own category (Section 12.00) in Social Security's "Blue Book" list of disabling impairments. Disorders specifically listed include:

• 12.02 for neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's or traumatic brain injuries
• 12.03 for schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders
• 12.04 for depressive, bipolar, or related mood disorders
• 12.05 for disorders of intellectual functioning (low IQ)
• 12.06 for anxiety, agoraphobia, or obsessive-compulsive disorders
• 12.07 for somatic disorders (physical pain without a known physical source)
• 12.08 for personality and impulse-control disorders
• 12.10 for autism spectrum disorders
• 12.11 for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Tourette's syndrome
• 12.13 for disordered eating, such as anorexia or bulimia, and
• 12.15 for trauma- and stressor-related disorders (PTSD or PTSI).

Each listed condition has a specific set of requirements that must be documented in your medical records. You need to have been diagnosed with one of the above disorders, but you also need to show that you have very significant ("marked" or "extreme") limitations in areas of mental functioning like interacting with others or remembering tasks.

Showing that you meet the complicated listing criteria can be difficult. You should ask your regular doctor or treating mental health professional to determine whether you may qualify for disability under a mental disorder listing. If they're willing, you may also want to see if they'll write a medical opinion for Social Security describing your mental health symptoms and limitations.

Getting Disability Benefits by Showing That You Can't Work Because of Your Mental Health

Most disability claimants don't have medical records that meet the strict requirements of the mental illness listings. But Social Security can still award you disability benefits if you can show that your residual functional capacity (RFC) rules out all available jobs.

Your RFC is a set of restrictions that reflects the most that you're able to do, mentally and physically, in a work environment. If you have a mental disorder, the SSA will review your medical records to determine the extent of any limitations you have in the following areas:

• understanding and remembering information
• following directions and controlling your behavior
• getting along with others
• tolerating stress
• concentrating on completing tasks in a timely manner
• adapting to changes, and
• taking care of yourself (such as paying bills, bathing, grocery shopping).

The more restrictions your mental condition causes, or the more severe your limitations are, the more likely no jobs will exist that you can do with your RFC. For example, if your depression interferes with your concentration to the extent that you're leaving basic work tasks unfinished, it's unlikely that any employer would hire you for even an easy, low-stress job. To learn more about what types of mental limitations can rule out all work, check out our article about getting disability when you can't do a simple, unskilled job.

Can You Get Short-Term Disability for Mental Health?

Social Security only pays SSDI or SSI benefits to people who have a mental health disorder that lasts for at least twelve months- it doesn't award "temporary" benefits. But if you have a mental health disorder that responds quickly to intensive treatment or isn't expected to last for longer than one year, you may qualify for short-term disability if you have private (or, in a few cases, state) insurance coverage.

For example, if you live in California-one of the five states with a publicly funded short-term disability program-and you need to take time off of work due to postpartum depression, you may receive wage replacement payments for several weeks.

How Much Does Mental Health Disability Pay?

Short-term disability benefits, whether private or public, pay at a certain percentage of your usual earnings (typically at least 50%) for the duration of the policy. These benefits are often capped at a fixed amount, which can vary by state. If you have employer-provided short- or long-term disability insurance, you can check the terms of your policy for the specifics.

SSDI and SSI payments aren't made based on the type of disabling condition you have. Eligibility for SSDI is determined by your work history and how much you've contributed to the program in payroll taxes. If you're eligible, you can receive up to $4,018 per month (in 2025), although the average amount is much lower, at $1,580. SSI is a needs-based benefit available to people with limited resources, which pays $967 per month minus any countable income in that month.

You can learn more in our articles on how much you can get in SSDI and how much you can get in SSI. (Veterans can visit the VA webpage listing the current disability compensation rates to see how much they can get every month based on their disability rating and living situation.)

Applying for SSDI or SSI

Filing for Social Security benefits is fairly straightforward. You can start your application for disability benefits in one of several ways:

• Go online at ssa.gov. Filing online has many benefits, such as giving you the option to save your application and return to it later. You'll also receive a confirmation number where you can track your application.
• Call Social Security's national number at 800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• Apply in person at your local Social Security field office. You can use the locator toolhere to find the office closest to you.

You can learn more in our article about filing a disability application with Social Security. Veterans seeking disability compensation can find comprehensive information about applying in our article on how to file for VA benefits.

What If My Mental Illness Doesn't Qualify?

Some people might just not qualify for Social Security disability benefits at all—for example, if you don't meet the financial eligibility criteria for either SSDI and SSI, you won't be able to receive benefits no matter how severe your symptoms are. Others may be able to hold down full-time jobs provided they have reasonable accommodations for their mental health symptoms, such as flexible scheduling or sensory workplace adjustments. There are many methods for people with milder mental illnesses to manage their symptoms, including but not limited to the use of emotional support animals or service dogs.

If you can't work despite reasonable accommodations and you're denied the first time, keep in mind that the disability determination process can be extremely lengthy. While claims for benefits due to mental illness can be ultimately successful, it's likely to take several years. You may want to consider hiring an experienced disability attorney who can help you explain in clear terms how your symptoms keep you from working and help put any less-than-glowing parts of your application (such as evidence of drug or alcohol abuse) into context so that they don't sink your claim.