What Qualifies You for Psychological Disability?

Qualifying for psychological disability under Social Security or at a university can provide a much needed cushion for the right individuals. Coping with a mental illness can put serious limitations on what the individual is capable of accomplishing. Psychological disability under Social Security can provide the individual with funds to live off while he is unable to hold down a job, while a university will often offer affected students assistive services, such as extra time on tests.

Psychological Testing

• Results of psychological testing administered by a licensed therapist are important for making the determination of psychological disability. These tests could include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Revised (MMPI-II) or neuropsychological testing (such as the Halstead-Reitan battery of tests). These tests are extremely difficult to "fake" and provide an accurate reflection of any mental or psychological issues that the individual is coping with.

Diagnosis

• A diagnosis or a therapist's notes from past sessions may be used to help determine the individual's eligibility for psychological disability. Because this information is highly confidential, the individual may have to contact the therapist himself and give permission for the records to be transferred to the agency. A diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will help those evaluating the individual obtain a better understanding of what kind of impairment they are dealing with (such as anxiety, attention or mood problems).

Medical Findings

• It may be necessary to gather all relevant medical data and history or send the individual to a doctor for testing. Past history of health problems and hospitalizations (medical or psychiatric) can provide important information, such as whether the individual's weight implies anorexia nervosa or if she has been hospitalized for self-injurious behavior. A list of medications that the individual is taking provides some insight into whether side effects are having an impact on her psychology (and may therefore actually be a medical problem that can be solved by switching medications).

Interview

• An interview with a qualified therapist from the agency you are hoping to get disability services from is usually required. This may include a Mental Status Exam, which helps to assess your appearance, behavior, memory, perception and thinking ability while obtaining your history. This is important for the determination of your disability's severity and the duration it is projected to affect you. You may be asked how your disability restricts you in day-to-day functions and how long it has affected you in the past.