Instead, service members use drugs or alcohol as a way of self-medicating. So it’s very rare to have complaints of symptoms of depression listed in service records. It tends to view complaints and concerns about mental health as a sign of weakness. Unfortunately, the overall culture in the military is to appear tough and resilient. In proving direct service-connection for depression, a veteran may have some early symptoms of depression or self-medicating behavior documented in his service treatment records or other service personnel file.īut people in service don’t usually go to the Medical Corp complaining of mental health symptoms. As long as you were fine when you went in, your military mental health screening upon enlistment showed no psychiatric illnesses, and there’s no evidence that anything existed pre-service, the onset of any problems during service will be considered service-related. Unlike PTSD, a veteran doesn’t need some traumatic or stressful event that happened during service to have caused his depression. You might have developed symptoms of depression during active duty, or maybe you developed a medical condition on active duty that produced depression years later. Service connection for depression can be direct or secondary. How Veterans Prove Service Connection for Depression Just because you don’t currently suffer from hallucinations or delusions doesn’t mean you aren’t 100% impaired by depression. In other words, veterans don’t have to have every single symptom listed in the VA’s General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders to qualify for a certain rating. She might also have a spouse, but no real relationship other than living together. A veteran with a 70% rating for depression might be able to get a job but has difficulty holding on to it. They may take lots of sick days because they just can’t get motivated to go to work. In 2002, the Mauerhan Court stated that “it is not the symptoms but their effects that determines the level of impairment.” This means the VA Board must look at the entire picture of a veteran’s symptoms of depression – from time of claim onward – and how those symptoms impact his or her work and social life.įor example, a veteran with a 50% rating for depression may be employed but lack a social life (except maybe a spouse). How Does the VA Assign 100% Rating for Depression?Įach VA rating for depression is assigned a list of symptoms, but how does the VA apply this disability rating system? Do they simply go through the list and check off how many symptoms you have? VA disability benefits for depression are higher for veterans who are married, have children, or have other dependents. According to the VA rating, monthly VA benefits for single veterans with depression who have no dependents are as follows: The higher the disability rating, the higher the compensation. Once the VA has assigned a disability rating, you can determine the amount of monthly veterans’ disability compensation for depression you are eligible to receive. A veteran claims depression based on a set of symptoms, social problems, and employment difficulties she is experiencing – not a diagnosis. Since 2009, veterans can file a claim for benefits for one mental disorder, and later, if needed, they may expand and refine the scope of their claim by arguing that it’s within the general intent of what they meant when they filed. A veteran makes a claim based on the symptoms he’s experiencing. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims reasoned that a veteran is not competent to narrow the scope of potential diagnoses. Upon further examination, the doctors felt he didn’t have PTSD but another mental health problem. In Clemens, a veteran made a claim for PTSD. This was made clear in the 2009 case, Clemens vs. They aren’t required to know exactly what their mental health problem is. What if you’re having difficulty maintaining employment, but aren’t sure if you have depression or PTSD? That’s fine. There are six possible VA ratings for depression: Instead of asking, “What is the veteran’s diagnosis?” the VA rating formula asks, “What is the level of occupational and social impairment?” The VA rates depression using the same general rating formula as all mental disorders, including anxiety, schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and adjustment disorder. Depression is a major cause of unemployability in the U.S., making VA disability compensation for depression extremely important.Ī quick review of the VA disability ratings for depression and tips on how to get VA benefits for depression can ensure you receive the full benefits you deserve. As many as one in every three veterans suffer from depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, PTSD, or other psychiatric disorder – two to three times more than the general population.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |