U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Policy.

Trends in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Disability Programs

 
Change in Program Policy Influencing Program Size
Number of awards for the diagnostic category of mental disorders and policy changes affecting them, 1980–2003 (in thousands)
Year DI workers,
all mental disorders
SSI adults
(18–64),
excluding
mental retardation
SSI children,
excluding
mental retardation
1980 . . . 9.60 0.98
1981 36.32 8.89 0.91
1982 31.53 13.30 0.77
1983 50.63 42.18 2.21
1984 64.08 65.89 2.65
1985 68.61 70.67 3.14
1986 123.98 119.48 3.85
1987 81.24 99.58 3.83
1988 85.76 86.87 3.86
1989 88.50 93.56 4.67
1990 105.17 112.42 10.58
1991 126.18 131.16 27.47
1992 164.09 171.09 55.66
1993 166.05 178.13 67.57
1994 156.70 160.94 65.04
1995 147.90 158.51 58.05
1996 132.02 136.48 42.62
1997 122.90 115.40 32.80
1998 131.50 127.70 44.48
1999 138.98 138.02 52.79
2000 143.20 146.93 57.64
2001 168.60 157.59 68.94
2002 185.31 168.97 80.28
2003 191.68 171.65 91.16
SOURCES: Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2003, Table 36; SSI Annual Statistical Report, 2003, Tables 48 and 49.
NOTES: Between 1995 and 1996, changes were made in the series, and data are not directly comparable. The SSI series includes only mental disorders other than mental retardation. Because of limitations in the historical data series, the DI workers series includes all mental disorders and does not exclude mental retardation. In recent years, awards based on mental retardation have consistently accounted for 10 percent to 13 percent of awards to DI workers based on mental disorders, with nearly 90 percent being other mental disorders.
. . . = not applicable.

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