How to Handle Mental Health Issues with VA

The VA evaluates mental illnesses under the VA Schedule of Ratings Disabilities. If you suffer from more than one mental disorder but the symptoms from each illness are similar, you will receive one disability rating. The VA does not grant service-connected disability compensation for illnesses that are considered to be “genetic or developmental defects.” Mental retardation and personality disorders are considered genetic or developmental defects, and, therefore, you cannot get compensation for these illnesses. However, if a veteran with a diagnosed personality disorder enters military service and later develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he or she will not be barred from receiving benefits for PTSD on the basis of the underlying personality disorder. Just like with other disabilities, you must prove your mental illness is connected to your military service in order to be eligible for disability compensation. In some cases, you may have had a mental illness before going into the service and your experiences on active duty may have made your condition worse. If this is the case you may be able to get compensation on the basis of “aggravated service connection.”

You will also be required to prove that you had your mental illness before going into the military. If your mental illness was noted during your enlistment exam, that will satisfy this requirement. If not, you will have to provide medical records showing a pre-service diagnosis of your condition. Also, you can’t simply show that your symptoms got worse due to active duty. A VA doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist will need to state in writing that your condition got worse because of your military service, and not just because of the natural progression of the mental illness. Sometimes you can get a mental illness service-connected without having to prove that it was caused by your military service. For example, depression is commonly suffered by veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI). The VA will “presume” that your depression is linked to your military service if your depression develops within a certain time frame after your TBI diagnosis. Often veterans develop secondary mental conditions as a result of a physical disability caused on active duty. If you have a service-connected physical disability that resulted in depression or some other mental ailment, you are entitled to an additional disability rating for your mental illness. This is called “secondary service connection” because your second condition, the mental illness, was caused by your primary physical disability, for which you were awarded compensation.

To apply for VA disability contact us at 855-312-5575 or email us at info@VetDefender.com.