How to File a VA Claim for Mental Health Conditions

Author:

Eilaf Meenai

Editor:

Ashley Pena

LCSW

Veteran Affairs (VA) claims are used to seek recognition and compensation for health conditions caused or worsened by military service.

Many people associate these claims with physical injuries. However, the VA also acknowledges that invisible wounds, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, are just as disabling – if not more so.

If you’re concerned about the long-lasting effects of military service on your well-being or that of someone you care about, a mental health professional can guide you on how to make a VA claim. This Veterans Affairs claims guide can also help, as it walks you through the VA claim process for mental health conditions, including:

What the VA claim process looks like, step by step
The types of mental health claims you can make
What qualifies as a mental disability for a VA claim
Actions you can take if your VA claim is denied
Where to find mental health support during a VA claim filing

Step-By-Step Veterans Affairs Claims Process for Mental Health Conditions

When your mental health has been impacted by military service, the thought of making a VA claim might feel like an extra burden – but it doesn’t have to. The following are the exact steps you will have to take when filing a VA mental health claim, ensuring that you’re clear on what it is you have to do.

Step 1: Prepare Your Evidence

To receive VA compensation for a mental health condition, you’ll need to show three things. Including that…

You have a current, medically diagnosed mental health condition
Something happened during your military service. For example, a traumatic event, injury, or stressful experience
There is a direct link (what the VA calls a “nexus”) between what happened during your service and what you’re experiencing now

The VA needs to see that your condition is both real and service-related, and to prove it, the following documentation is needed.

Your DD214: This is the proof of your military service that shows your service dates, branch, discharge status, awards, and deployments.¹
Service treatment records (STRs): STRs are the medical records from active duty. You will have STRs if you have ever sought help for mental health symptoms or physical issues. For instance, insomnia, long-term headaches, or gastrointestinal issues may be linked to your mental health condition.
Current medical records: These records typically include a psychiatrist’s evaluation, a therapy progress note, and a medication history. They demonstrate your current diagnosis and how the condition affects your daily life to the VA.

Step 2: Complete the Relevant VA Forms

The Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, VA Form 21-526EZ, is the main form used in the VA claim process for disability compensation.

To allow the VA to obtain your medical records from non-VA healthcare providers, you’ll also need to submit VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a. These VA claim forms for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions authorize the VA to request and access medical information.

Additionally, the VA Form 21-0781, the Statement in Support of Claimed Mental Health Disorder(s) Due to an In-Service Traumatic Event(s), is your written account of the traumatic event(s) that changed your life.

Note that the VA recognizes that trauma doesn’t always come from combat and that mental health injuries are just as real as physical ones. For instance, the following are some of the types of events the VA acknowledges on these forms:²

Combat-related trauma: Examples include direct combat, receiving or fearing enemy fire, or exposure to IEDs or ambushes. They also involve being stationed in a hostile zone, or working with drones or targeting systems, where you witnessed combat from a distance.
Military sexual trauma: Any instance of sexual assault or sexual harassment during service, whether it was reported at the time or not.
Traumatic personal events: These include being physically assaulted, robbed, mugged, stalked, or harassed, even if the person responsible wasn’t enemy military.
Other traumatic experiences: Examples include being involved in a serious accident (like a vehicle crash) or witnessing a fellow service member’s death or injury. Friendly fire incidents, working in a burn unit or with remains, or seeing someone else hurt or killed are also included.

Finally, when completing these forms, you’ll be asked to include the approximate date of the traumatic event, its location, unit assignment at the time, and a description of what happened.

Step 3: Submit Your VA Claim

The VA gives you five different ways to submit your disability claim.

Filing a claim online through the VA.gov portal is the quickest way to do it. You’ll need a VA.gov account (which you can create with your DS Logon, ID.me, or MyHealtheVet credentials). Once you’re in, just follow the prompts under “File for Disability Compensation.”

If online filing isn’t comfortable for you, you can submit a paper application. Fill out VA Form 21-526EZ (Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits), print it, and send the completed packet through the mail to:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Claims Intake Center

PO Box 4444

Janesville, WI 53547-4444

You can also walk into a VA regional office and hand-deliver your application. Visit the VA Facility Locator to find your nearest location.

Veteran mental health assistance claims are also accepted by fax. If you prefer this method, you can send your fax to the following:

U.S. fax number: 844-531-7818
International fax: 248-524-4260

If the VA claim process feels too overwhelming, you can get help from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), accredited attorneys, and claims agents who understand the system’s ins and outs. The good news is that many VSO reps offer their help completely free of charge.

Step 4: Attend VA Mental Health Evaluation

Once your claim is in, the VA may schedule you for what’s called a “Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam.”³ The C&P exam is used to better understand your condition and how it affects your life.

However, not everyone who files a claim will need a C&P exam. If the VA already has enough medical evidence in your records, they may use the Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) process. This means that instead of scheduling an in-person exam, they’ll review your existing records, request any additional documentation if needed, and move forward with a decision.

Yet, if you’re asked to attend a C&P exam, you’ll see an examiner. A C&P examiner is a VA psychologist or psychiatrist who will assess whether you have a valid, service-connected diagnosis and how it impacts your ability to function. The appointment may last 30 minutes to an hour.

During VA mental health evaluations, you will be asked detailed questions about your symptoms, their frequency and severity, and how they affect your life. You’ll also be questioned about any coping strategies you’ve used and your military service.

Additionally, you may also be requested to undergo medical testing, such as blood work or imaging, if needed. You won’t be charged for any of these tests. They’re just to ensure that there are no underlying physical issues in situations where physical symptoms overlap with mental health.

Step 5: Wait for a Decision

Once your claim is filed, it moves into a multi-step internal review process. You don’t need to take any additional action unless the VA contacts you to request additional information.

After all documentation is done, a VA adjudicator evaluates the evidence and applies federal regulations to determine two things:

Is your condition service-connected?
If yes, what disability rating applies based on severity (from 0% to 100%)?

As of April 2025, the average processing time for disability-related claims is approximately 131.5 days.⁴ This waiting period is long and can be emotionally difficult. Make sure you stay connected with your support system and keep attending therapy. You can also log in to your VA.gov account to track your claim’s progress as it moves through the review stages.

When the VA makes a decision, you’ll receive a Rating Decision Letter in the mail that outlines:

Whether your condition is service-connected
The percentage rating you have been assigned
The effective date of your mental health disability benefits
An explanation of how the decision was reached

Types of Mental Health Claims

Va.gov describes six different types of mental health VA claims.⁵These include:

Original claim: If you’ve never filed a VA claim before, the first claim you file for mental health disability will be called your “original claim.”
Increased claim: Say you already have a service-connected rating for a condition, for example, 30% for anxiety. Yet, over time, if your condition has worsened, you may need more intensive treatment. This is when you’d file an increased VA claim for anxiety disorders to request an increase in rating and adequate subsequent compensation.
New claim: If your mental health condition is already service-connected, but you want to ask for added benefits, then you could file a new claim. For example, you may now be unable to work due to your mental health diagnosis and want to see an Individual Unemployability status (TDIU).
Secondary service-connected claim: Mental health doesn’t exist in isolation. A secondary claim is for when one service-connected condition causes another. For instance, PTSD could lead to substance use, which may then cause liver damage.
Special claim: If you require specific support tied to your service-connected condition, you may qualify for a special claim. Examples of such scenarios include temporary compensation if you’re hospitalized for a mental health crisis, or special assistance if your condition is so severe you can’t live independently.
Supplemental claim: If the VA has previously denied your claim, and you now have new and relevant evidence, you can file a supplemental claim.

What Qualifies as a Mental Health Disability for a VA Claim?

Many mental health conditions qualify for VA disability benefits, but they must be linked to your military service. It doesn’t matter if symptoms appeared while you were deployed, shortly after coming home, or even years later. But you must be able to draw a clear line from your military experience to your current mental health struggles.

The following is a breakdown of the most common mental health conditions compensated through the VA claim process:

Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder
Depressive and mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia
PTSD
Chronic adjustment disorder
Cognitive disorders tied to traumatic brain injury
Memory loss
Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or other forms of psychosis

However, the VA generally does not grant mental health disability benefits for the following issues:

Personality disorders, as these are lifelong patterns of behavior that aren’t caused by service.
Dependency issues that cannot be traced back to service
Impulse control disorders
Cognitive delays or developmental disabilities

What to Do if Your VA Claim Is Denied?

If your VA claim process is denied, you have three options.

First, you can file a supplemental claim in case you have new and relevant information that the VA didn’t have when they made their decision. Additional documentation may include a new diagnosis from a mental health provider, updated treatment records, or a medical nexus letter from a psychologist tying your condition to your service.

Second, if your claim was denied and you believe the VA made an error, you can request a higher-level review, which is when a more senior VA claims adjudicator looks at your application. A higher-level review does not allow any new evidence; you just ask for a fresh, more experienced set of eyes on the same record. You can, however, request a one-time informal conference (by phone) to explain your side directly to the reviewer.

Third, there’s a more formal process in which a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals takes over the case. In a board appeal, you can choose one of three paths:

A direct review, where the judge reviews your case as it is
You submit new evidence within 90 days of filing the appeal
You ask for a live hearing (in person or virtual) and submit new evidence up to 90 days after the hearing

Seek Mental Health Support During VA Claim Filing

The VA claim process for mental health can be complicated and tiring, and we at Mission Connection are here to provide emotional support for VA claim filing.

We support adults facing mental health challenges such as trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and more. What’s more, our intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs offer evidence-based treatments like CBT, DBT, and trauma-focused therapies, available in-person, online, or as a hybrid.

References

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025, April 11). Request your military service records (including DD214). https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2024, September 26). About VA Form 21-0781. https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-0781/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025, April 25). VA claim exam (C&P exam). https://www.va.gov/disability/va-claim-exam/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025, May 9). How to file a VA disability claim. https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2024, May 3). Types of disability claims and when to file. https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/when-to-file/