SSA Disability Guide — Common Conditions
Common conditions / Anxiety disorders and PTSD
Can You Get Disability for Anxiety or PTSD?
Yes, an anxiety disorder or PTSD may support a disability claim when its documented effects prevent substantial work for the required duration. SSA does not grant benefits based on a diagnosis alone.
SSA does not grant disability based on a diagnosis alone. It evaluates medical evidence, duration, and the effect of supported limitations on work.
How SSA evaluates anxiety and PTSD
Listing 12.06 covers anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, including qualifying anxiety conditions such as generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety. PTSD is generally evaluated under Listing 12.15, trauma- and stressor-related disorders—not Listing 12.06 simply because it can involve anxiety.
The listings have specific medical and functional criteria. SSA considers the applicable criteria for the diagnosed disorder and the effects shown in the record. If a listing is not met or medically equaled, SSA evaluates supported mental limits in the RFC.
Current SSA mental-disorder listingsMyHearingJudge mental-disorders listing guide
What evidence SSA may consider
Evidence can include clinical evaluations, treatment records, observed symptoms, the course of the condition, and descriptions from people familiar with the claimant’s functioning. SSA considers how the condition affects daily activities and work-related abilities, not just the name of the diagnosis.
Relevant work functions may include staying on task, completing activities at a reasonable pace, interacting with others, responding to ordinary supervision, handling changes, and maintaining a regular schedule. SSA weighs the record as a whole.
How anxiety or PTSD can affect RFC
The mental RFC may address supported limits involving concentration, persistence, pace, social interaction, attendance, or adapting to routine demands. The specific effects vary by person and must be supported by evidence; a condition label does not determine the RFC.
How the Grid Rules may apply
The Grid Rules focus mainly on exertional capacity and vocational factors such as age, education, and work history. When anxiety, PTSD, or another nonexertional condition is a major source of limitation, a grid result may be only a framework rather than the full decision.
Documenting an anxiety or PTSD claim
- Keep a timeline of symptoms, care, and changes in daily or work-related functioning.
- Describe specific situations that affect attendance, concentration, pace, interactions, or adapting to change.
- Ask treating providers to explain their observations and any functional limits in concrete terms.
- Identify relevant records and providers for SSA; do not start, stop, or change treatment based on this page.
Official SSA sources
Related resources
This guide explains Social Security’s disability evaluation; it is not medical advice or a treatment plan. Do not start, stop, or change treatment based on this page. A qualified clinician can answer medical-care questions, and SSA decides each claim from its full record.