Social Security has substantially changed the mental impairment listings effective January 17, 2017. The revisions add three new listed impairments: neurodevelopmental disorders (includes learning disabilities) (new Listing 12.11), eating disorders (new listing 12.13), and trauma- and stressor-related disorders (including PTSD) (new listing 12.15). The revisions also substantially rewrite the listing for Intellectual Disability (listing 12.05). Revisions to the children’s listings mirror changes to the adult listings.
The revisions change the “B” criteria. The new “B” criteria are: Understand, Remember or Apply Information; Interact with Others; Concentrate, Persist or Maintain Pace and Adapt or Manage Oneself. The revisions add multiple factors to consider for each of the new “B” criteria.
The revisions also require considering homelessness as a factor in difficulty to produce medical evidence.
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Mental Disorders, 81 Fed. Reg. 66138 (September 26, 2016).