Is there such a thing as psychological disability? Can someone’s mind render them incapable of work? The answer to both questions is also yes. The most extreme form of psychological disability is schizophrenia. Most scientists believe it is genetically based.

Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the population, occurring first between the ages of 13 and 30. It tends to be a severely debilitating condition causing the sufferer to go in and out of reality.

The next most frequent psychological disability is major depressive disorder. This disorder occurs much more frequently in the population than schizophrenia, affecting approximately 15% of the population at one time or another in their lives, but is not usually as debilitating as in the case of schizophrenia. However, it is estimated that by the year 2020, major depressive disorder will be the second leading cause of disability behind heart conditions. Major depressive disorder is manifested by an inability to concentrate, eating disturbances, sleep disturbances, feelings of self loathing, and indecisiveness. In extreme conditions, suicidal ideation or actual suicidal gestures may emerge. Psychotherapy is essential in accelerating the improvement of this disorder and in decreasing the probability of reoccurrence.

A variety of disorders caused by either job stress or personal injury may produce psychological disability. These include phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. A thorough psychological evaluation will determine the nature and extent of the psychological disability and how to appropriately treat it. The evaluation includes a diagnostic interview as well as a variety of psychological tests to assess intellectual impairment as well as psychological impairment.