The influence of Social Security legislation changes on the profile of the granting of disability benefits for mental disorders

This article is a preliminary study on possible influences of legal regulation changes (Copes and PP) on the result of initial expertise examination in Juiz de Fora (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil), following a request for social benefits due to a mental disorder. Method: retrospective analysis of data drawn from an official data bank (Dataprev) related to examinations concluded between July/2004 and December/2006. Four periods were considered: (1 degrees) July/2004 to July/2005 before the legal regulation Copes took effect; (2 degrees) August/2005 to November/2005, with Copes in effect and examinations by third part experts; (3 degrees) December/2005 to April/2006, without third part experts; (4 degrees) May/2006 to December/2006, with PP in effect. Results: reduction on the frequency of benefit granting from 81.9% to 49.5% from 1 degrees to 4 degrees period. Increase of favorable conclusions on requests for re-evaluations (from 52.0% in 1 degrees period to 75.3% after Copes) and reduction in 4 degrees period (36.5%). Reduction on average number of benefit renewal (from 3.5 to 1.7, respectively in 1 degrees and 4 degrees periods). The mean period of work dismissal was longer in 1 degrees period and shorter in 4 degrees period (respectively 397.4 and 247.6 days). The results highlighted changes on the profile of benefits granted during the period of time in which the new regulations came into force.