SSDI approval odds for mental disorders in Georgia.
Georgia’s DDS approves 34.9% of initial claims — 3.9 points belowthe national median. Here’s how mental disorders claims tend to move through the process here.
Georgia initial DDS approval
34.9%
vs national median 38.8% · below by 3.9 points · -3.1 pts over 3 yrs
Mental disorders · historical allowance rate
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), national by primary diagnosis — not specific to Georgia and older than the state and stage figures shown here.
National allowance rate by stage · FY2024
If it reaches a hearing in Georgia
5
hearing offices
45–67%
judge approval range
224–258
days to decision
Approval rates vary widely by judge — which office (and ALJ) hears the case is one of the biggest factors in the outcome.
Why claims are denied — and how they’re allowed
National SSA final decisions for disabled workers, FY2022.
Top denial reasons
- Can do other work36%
- Other35%
- Not severe enough20%
- Can do past work8%
How allowances are made
- Medical-vocational (grid) allowance47%
- Meets a medical listing46%
- Equals a listing5%
- Other3%
What SSA requires to approve a claim
The Blue Book criteria for mental disorders
The exact medical criteria — in plain language, with the evidence each one needs. Nearly half of allowances come from meeting a listing.
Estimate a specific case
Run the estimator for Georgia
Pre-filled to mental disorders in Georgia — add age and stage for the base rates that fit a real claim.
Source: SSA public datasets · Updated 2026-06-18. Not legal advice. State DDS rate is the latest SSA fiscal-year figure (all conditions); stage allowance rates are national and current. Per-condition rates are from SSA research on 1997–2004 claims (Meseguer, Social Security Bulletin 73(2), 2013) and are national, not state-specific. Figures are historical aggregates, not a prediction of any individual claim.