Criteria: Table 14-1 Classes of Impairment Due to Mental and Behavioral Disorders (363)
Guidance: Permanent impairment rating was based on Chapter 14, Mental and Behavioral Disorders (357-370). The Guides Fifth Edition (361) states Percentages are not provided to estimate mental impairment in this edition of the Guides. Unlike cases with some organ systems, there are no precise measures of impairment in mental disorders. The use of percentages implies a certainty that does not exist. Percentages are likely to be used inflexibly by adjudicators, who then are less likely to take into account the many factors that influence mental and behavioral impairment. In addition, the authors are unaware of data that show the reliability of the impairment percentage. The authors of this chapter point out that no empirical evidence exists to support any method that assigns a percentage of whole person impairment for mental and behavioral disorders. Table 14-1 (363) summarizes an approach using four classes of impairment based on a person’s capacity to function in four areas: activities of daily living; social functioning; concentration, persistence, and pacing; and adaptation.
