Disability and welfare--who wants it?

Over 4 million people under the age of 65 currently receive Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Research on these groups is limited. The charts of 284 patients referred for psychiatric evaluation by Disability Determination were examined. Of this group, 148 (52%) were psychotic: 61 (41%) had schizophrenia, 37 (25%) depression, 27 (18%) undiagnosed psychosis, and 23 (16%) mania. Chronic medical illness was present in 27 (73%) of the depressives, but only 9 (8%) of the other three groups. Implications of these findings are discussed.