Approval odds · by condition
SSDI approval odds for mental disorders.
In SSA research on 1997–2004 claims, about 54% of mental disorders claims were allowed at the initial level, and roughly 76%were ultimately allowed once appeals are counted. Here’s how claims like these move through the system — and where they fare best.
Historical allowance rate · by primary diagnosis
54%
allowed at the initial level
~76%
ultimately allowed once appeals are counted
SSA research on 1997–2004 applications (Meseguer, Social Security Bulletin 73(2), 2013). Rates vary by primary diagnosis; these are older than the current-year stage rates below and describe the historical record, not any one claim.
Mental disorders account for 36.5% of all SSDI awards (287,442 awards in the latest SSA annual report) — a measure of how common the condition is among awards, not the chance of approval.
National allowance rate by stage · FY2024
The hearing stage is where the most denied claims turn into allowances — a denial earlier in the process is common and not the end of the road.
Within mental disorders
Estimate the odds for a specific case
Run the Approval-Odds Estimator
Pre-filled to mental disorders — add state, age, and stage for the base rates that fit a real claim.
What SSA requires to approve a claim
The Blue Book criteria for mental disorders
The exact medical criteria SSA uses to allow these claims — in plain language, with the evidence each one needs.
Mental disorders odds by state
Other conditions
Source: SSA public datasets (ALJ dispositions + Annual Statistical Report) · Updated 2026-06-18. Per-condition allowance rates are from SSA research on 1997–2004 claims (Meseguer, Social Security Bulletin 73(2), 2013). Not legal advice. Figures are SSA historical aggregates — award shares and national allowance rates by stage are current; the per-condition rates are older research. Individual outcomes turn on the medical evidence and the specific record.