08 Jan What Qualifies As a Mental Disability?
The question about what constitutes a mental disability under the law isn’t necessarily focused on specific conditions. There’s not an exhaustive list of mental conditions that qualify as disability. The important question is whether a mental condition limits the performance of a major life activity.
It is not so important what name you give to the condition; what matters are the symptoms and how it limits your major life activities. That being said, there are a number of mental conditions that I see quite a bit in my practice that often do constitute a mental disability. Bipolar disorder is a common mental disability that I see that has become an issue in my practice. Bipolar disorder is a condition where a person suffers from depressive episodes and manic episodes. In either situation, whether someone is suffering from a depressive episode or a manic episode, it can have a major impact on a persons’ ability to perform their job.
A similar condition, although it’s not identical (there are key distinctions) is Major Depressive Disorder, and it can also greatly affect a person’s ability to do their job. People with major depressive disorder can suffer from insomnia, may have a hard time getting out of bed, and can suffer from physical symptoms that are related to their depression. They can also suffer from side effects of medications used to treat the depression. Major depressive disorder can have profound impacts on a persons’ ability to perform their job.
If you have experienced discrimination by your employer because of a mental disability, contact an employment lawyer today at the Khadder Law Firm for a free initial consultation.