Mental Health
What is it, what can cause it, rating breakdown information and more.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of overall well-being, especially for veterans who have endured the unique challenges of military service. Does your mental health affect your quality of life? Conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and others can significantly impact the quality of life, relationships, and ability to work. Fortunately, the VA recognizes the impact of these conditions and provides disability benefits to help veterans reclaim their lives.
This page serves as your ultimate guide to understanding mental health as it relates to VA disability benefits. Whether you’re exploring the conditions that are covered below, seeking to understand VA disability criteria for mental health, or looking for resources to support your journey, you’ll find everything you need right here. If you are reading this, please remember that you are enough and your mental health matters.
Mental Health Conditions Recognized by the VA
The VA acknowledges a variety of mental health conditions that may be service-connected. Below are some of the most common conditions veterans file claims for, along with examples:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Common causes: Combat exposure, military sexual trauma (MST), or traumatic training exercises.
Examples: Flashbacks, nightmares, hyper-vigilance, and avoidance behaviors.
Depression
Impact: Reduced ability to maintain employment or personal relationships.
Examples: Persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and difficulty concentrating.
Anxiety Disorders
Triggers: High-stress military environments or post-service adjustments.
Examples: Generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and excessive worrying.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-Related Mental Health Disorders
Cause: Blast injuries or head trauma during service.
Examples: Memory loss, mood swings, and cognitive impairments.
Adjustment Disorder
Triggers: Transitioning out of military service, loss of comrades, or significant personal events.
Examples: Difficulty coping with significant life changes, feelings of hopelessness, or excessive stress.
Understanding VA Disability Ratings for Mental Health
The VA uses a percentage-based rating system to determine the severity of your condition and its impact on your daily life. Ratings are assigned in increments of 10% and range from 0% to 100%. Below is a breakdown for (including, but not limited to) PTSD, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-Related Mental Health Disorders, and Adjustment Disorder. Keep in mind, this is an “umbrella” rating, meaning you cannot have multiple mental health ratings.
| Ratings | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0% | Diagnosed by the VA, but not severe enough to impact daily life (work & family) or to require medication. |
| 10% | Work and social life are impacted. Decreased work effort and ability to perform work duties during periods of high stress OR symptoms controlled by continuous medication. |
| 30% | Work and social life are impacted with a decrease in work effort and some periods of being completely unable to perform work duties (can be generally functioning well). Symptoms include depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events). |
| 50% | Work and social life are impacted with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect, circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. |
| 70% | Work and social life are impacted with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a work-like setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. |
| 100% | Total work and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name. |
Mental Health as a secondary claim
Mental health conditions can often be secondary to other service-connected physical or mental health disabilities. If you’re experiencing a mental health condition that stems from or is exacerbated by another service-connected condition, you may qualify for a secondary service-connected condition. Here are some examples of how this can occur:
Chronic Pain and Depression:
Example: A veteran with service-connected back pain develops depression due to the limitations and challenges caused by chronic pain.
TBI and Anxiety Disorders:
Example: A veteran with a traumatic brain injury experiences heightened anxiety and panic attacks as a secondary result.
Tinnitus and Anxiety or Insomnia:
Example: A veteran with constant ringing in their ears experiences heightened anxiety, irritability, and difficulty with concentrating and falling asleep.
Service-Connected Physical Injuries and PTSD:
Example: A veteran who suffered severe physical injuries in combat or active duty develops PTSD due to the traumatic circumstances surrounding the injury.
Sleep Apnea and Depression:
Example: A veteran with service-connected sleep apnea experiences persistent depression due to fatigue and disrupted sleep patterns.
Filing for a secondary service-connected condition can strengthen your claim and ensure you receive compensation that accurately reflects your circumstances.
Resources for Veterans
If you’re struggling with mental health, know that you are not alone. Below are resources to help you:
Veterans Crisis Line
Phone: Dial 988, then press 1
Text: 838255
Website: VeteransCrisisLine.net
National Center for PTSD
Website: PTSD.va.gov
Resources: Educational materials, self-help tools, and treatment options.
VA Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Website: GiveAnHour.org
How ForTheVeteran Supports their clients
At ForTheVeteran, we specialize in helping veterans navigate the VA disability process with confidence. Our in-house team of medical professionals and claim experts are the nation’s best. When you speak to one of our medical professionals, you’ll be delighted to know that you are conversing with actual registered nurses who have the professional experience to back their strategy when filling your claim. This is just one of many ways in which we’re different from the competition, and filing by yourself or using a free option like a VSO or DAV. We help you:
Identify valuable claims specific to your conditions, with true medical professionals.
Guide you through every step, from initial filing to C&P prep calls, to submitting your claim.
If your mental health is affecting your quality of life, reach out to us today. Together, we can secure the benefits you’ve earned and start your journey toward a brighter future.