Which mental health conditions does the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) cover?
Since December 2005 a mental impairment no longer has to be clinically well recognised for it to be covered by the DDA. This means that potentially any mental health condition could be covered – it could include someone with depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or an eating disorder. The DDA is not, though, impairment specific and only lists HIV, MS and Cancer as definitely being covered from the point of diagnosis onward. All other conditions and their effect on an individual are subject to the decision of a court. This is because the definition of disability under the DDA is a legal one rather than medical. The court will decide whether someone is covered by the DDA by considering whether their mental health condition has a long term substantial adverse effect on his or her day to day activities. “Long term” means likely to last or has lasted for 12 months (and there are special provisions relating to recurring conditions); substantial means more than minor or tr
