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 Anxiety Disorder listing. 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 Anxiety Disorders followed by the new listing, which will take effect January 17, 2017.
Current Anxiety Listing
12.06 Anxiety-related disorders: In these disorders anxiety is either the predominant disturbance or it is experienced if the individual attempts to master symptoms; for example, confronting the dreaded object or situation in a phobic disorder or resisting the obsessions or compulsions in obsessive compulsive disorders.
The required level of severity for these disorders is met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied, or when the requirements in both A and C are satisfied.
- Medically documented findings of at least one of the following:
- Generalized persistent anxiety accompanied by three out of four of the following signs or symptoms:
- Motor tension; or
- Autonomic hyperactivity; or
- Apprehensive expectation; or
- Vigilance and scanning; or
- A persistent irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation which results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity, or situation; or
- Recurrent severe panic attacks manifested by a sudden unpredictable onset of intense apprehension, fear, terror and sense of impending doom occurring on the average of at least once a week; or
- Recurrent obsessions or compulsions which are a source of marked distress; or
- Recurrent and intrusive recollections of a traumatic experience, which are a source of marked distress;
AND
- Resulting in at least two of the following:
- Marked restriction of activities of daily living; or
- Marked difficulties in maintaining social functioning; or
- Marked difficulties in maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace; or
- Repeated episodes of decompensation, each of extended duration.
OR
- Resulting in complete inability to function independently outside the area of one’s home.
New Anxiety Listing
12.06 Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, satisfied by A, B, or A and C:
- Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, or 3:
- Anxiety disorder, characterized by three or more of the following;
- Restlessness
- Easily fatigued;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Irritability;
- Muscle tension; or
- Sleep disturbance.
- Panic disorder or agoraphobia, characterized by one or both:
- Panic attacks followed by a persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks or their consequences; or
- Disproportionate fear or anxiety about at least two different situations (for example, using public transportation, being in a crowd, being in a line, being outside of your home, being in open spaces).
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by one or both:
- Involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive, unwanted thoughts; or
- Repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety.
AND
- B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F):
- Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1
- Interact with others (see 12.00E2).
- Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).
- Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4).
- 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:
- 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
- Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already par t of your daily life (see 12.00G2c)
