Social Security for Chronic Depression

According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, about 14.8 million adults in the U.S. suffer from depression. Many people with depression respond well to treatment and live fairly normal, productive lives. For some, though, depression becomes a chronic illness. Some people become disabled by chronic depression and cannot work. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits for some people with chronic depression in the form of monthly payments. The amount depends on how long a person worked in the past and how much he paid into Social Security.

Prognosis

• People only qualify for SSDI if a doctor expects their depression to prevent them from working for at least one year. Social Security only provides disability benefits for chronic severe depression. It offers no short-term disability benefits. Some people with depression experience severe symptoms over a long period of time, but many respond well to treatment and can return to work in less than one year.

Symptoms

• To qualify for SSDI due to chronic depression, a person must have at least four symptoms of depression, and those symptoms must persist over a period of time. Symptoms considered by Social Security include changes in appetite accompanied by weight loss or gain, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, lack of energy, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, problems concentrating, problems with sleep and suicidal thoughts. These symptoms must be documented in the person's medical records.

Activities of Daily Living

• Social Security also looks at how depression affects a person's activities of daily living. They look for marked impairment in at least two of four areas, including restriction in the activities of daily living (like bathing, eating and otherwise caring for oneself), difficulty maintaining concentration or working at a normal pace, difficulty with normal social functioning, or repeated episodes of decompensation (such as needing to be hospitalized for depression). These issues must be documented in the person's medical records.

Application Process

• People can apply for SSDI at their local Social Security office or they can begin an application online. Social Security requires access to a person's medical records and other information in order to make a determination about whether or not a person qualifies for disability. If Social Security evaluators need additional information, they may ask a person to be evaluated by another doctor. The application process can take several months.

Medicare

• After a person has qualified for SSDI for chronic depression for two years, he will also qualify for Medicare. Medicare provides health insurance for elderly and disabled people. Medicare pays for treatment for depression along with other medical care.