Mental Disorder Listings 12.02-12.04
Understanding SSA’s mental disorder listings is critical to successful SSI/SSDI applications. In this article, we will review the key medical criteria required for listings 12.02 through 12.04.
Listings 12.02, 12.03, and 12.04
Meeting Listings 12.02, 12.03, and 12.04
To meet these listings, the applicant must meet the criteria outlined in Parts A and B or Parts A and C. This article will cover the criteria required for Part A.
A. Medical criteria that must be present in the medical evidence
B. Functional criteria that is assessed on a five-point rating scale from “none” to “extreme”
C. Criteria used to evaluate “serious and persistent mental disorders”
Overview |
These disorders are characterized by a clinically significant decline in cognitive functioning. These generally involve damage to the brain, which may have been caused by a head injury related to an accident, an assault, abuse, or combat. They can also result from some serious health problems or extensive alcohol & other drug use For more information on brain injuries, visit our article: Brain Injury Awareness and Education Resources |
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Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) |
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Examples of disorders evaluated in this listing |
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To meet the medical criteria for a neurocognitive disorder (Part A), there must be medical documentation of a significant cognitive decline from a prior level of functioning in one or more of the six cognitive areas:
- Complex attention
- Executive function
- Learning and memory
- Language
- Perceptual-motor
- Social cognition
Cognitive Area |
Definition |
Signs and Symptoms |
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Complex attention |
Maintenance of attention over time, despite competing distractors; attending to two tasks in the same time frame |
Easily distracted when there are competing events or stimuli (multiple conversations, radio, TV) in the environment, difficulty recalling recently received information such as addresses or instructions |
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Executive function |
Higher-level cognitive processes such as regulating attention, planning, decision-making, responding to feedback and error correction, mental flexibility to shift between two tasks |
Abandons complex projects and needs to focus on one task at a time; relies on others to plan daily activities or make decisions |
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Learning and memory |
Ability to recall recent events and keep track of a list of words or items; ability to remember personal events |
Frequent repetition during a conversation, requiring reminders to orient to task at hand, inability to keep track of items on a short shopping list or plans for the day |
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Language |
Ability to communicate thoughts to others in a coherent manner and accurately pronounce words; ability to understand language, such as following directions |
Inability to recall names of items or people and has difficulties in “finding the right word.” Grammatical errors in speech and idiosyncratic word usage |
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Perceptual-motor |
Ability to plan and then execute movement; coordination of hand-eye movements, balance, fine motor skills such as finger dexterity |
Significant difficulties with previously familiar activities such as driving, writing, using tools, or navigating in a familiar environment |
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Social cognition |
Recognizing emotions in others; ability to consider another’s intentions, thoughts, desires, or experience |
Behavior that is outside the range of social acceptability and inability to recognize social cues; insensitivity to social standards; focusing excessively on a topic of conversation despite the group’s disinterest or direct feedback; making decisions without regard to safety, such as wearing clothing inappropriate to the weather |
Overview | These disorders are characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, causing a clinically significant decline in functioning. |
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Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) |
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Examples of disorders evaluated in this listing |
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To meet the medical criteria for this listing (Part A), there must be medical documentation of one or more of the following:
- Delusions or hallucinations
- Disorganized thinking (speech)
- Grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia
Delusions are fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. Their content may include a variety of themes:
Hallucinations are perception-like experiences that occur without external stimulus. They are vivid and clear, with the full force and impact of normal perceptions, and not under voluntary control.
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Disorganized thinking (or speech) This symptom must be severe enough to substantially impair effective communication and may involve:
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Grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia
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Overview |
These disorders are characterized by an irritable, depressed, elevated, or expansive mood, or by a loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities, causing a clinically significant decline in functioning. |
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Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) |
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Examples of disorders evaluated in this listing |
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To meet the medical criteria for this listing (Part A), there must be medical documentation meeting the criteria in either column 1 or column 2:
Column 1. Depressive disorder, characterized by five or more of the following: |
Column 2. Bipolar disorder, characterized by three or more of the following:
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Details
- Type:
- Adult Course
- Date:
- November, 2016