Tips for Successful Depression VA Rating Claim

If you are a veteran suffering from depression, the VA offers immediate medical care, and you may also be eligible for VA disability benefits. Collecting the VA disability benefits that you are entitled to requires that you file a completed VA Form 21-526EZ, and provide sufficient evidence and documentation to prove a current diagnosis of depression, and that it is related to your service. 

Document Your Symptoms with a Journal and Ongoing Mental Health Services 

The most effective evidence of your depression to submit to the VA is the opinion of a mental health professional you see regularly to assist in the treatment of your symptoms. Compensation is available when your symptoms interfere with your ability to maintain gainful employment or cause social impairment and is meant to replace what you cannot earn due to your service-related disability. 

A journal documenting how your symptoms impact your day-to-day life in concert with your mental health treatment records and medication use demonstrates the extent of your disability. This evidence gives the assessors reviewing your application the ability to provide you with an accurate depression VA rating. Proof that your current diagnosis is related to your service, or is secondary to a service-related condition, is also essential to qualify for benefits. 

Obtain Statements from Medical Professionals and Employers to Support Your Claim 

The amount of VA disability compensation that you are eligible to receive depends upon the depression VA rating that you receive, in addition to the ratings of other disabilities. To be approved for VA disability benefits, you must have served qualifying active service, and you need to have a current diagnosis for your depression that you can prove is linked to your active service. Any acquired psychiatric condition can be service-connected, so do not be discouraged if your diagnosis is not “depression.”  A treatment provider should give you a diagnosis based on the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM).

To prove that your depression is service-related, a nexus letter is a highly valuable piece of evidence. A nexus letter is the opinion of a medical expert who has taken the time to assess your current condition and review your medical history to determine that your depression is more likely than not service-related. 

Connect with a VA Depression Disability Lawyer for Help with Your Appeal 

When your claim for depression VA disability benefits has been denied, a veteran’s attorney from our firm can help. We have decades of combined experience helping veterans receive accurate VA disability ratings so they can collect the benefits and compensation they deserve. To chat with one of our VA disability lawyers to see if we can help, give us a call at 888-878-9350 or visit our site to schedule a free case evaluation.