In this article, we’ll look at 100% Disability Ratings for PTSD Due to MST, and you will learn exactly how to get a 100% VA rating for PTSD caused by MST.
Are you eligible for a 100% VA Rating for a Mental Health Condition caused by MST?
It’s estimated that 1/4 of women veterans and 1/100 male veterans experienced MST, according to the DAV. With this alarming statistic, knowing what to do to get a 100% VA rating for Mental Health resulting from MST is crucial.
If you have a Mental Health condition as a result of MST, we are here to help you get the disability rating you deserve.
100% Disability Ratings for PTSD Due to MST
Mental health can be so disabling that the VA will officially award full disability with a 100% rating for those suffering enough. It used to be more difficult to get approved for Mental Health suffered as a result of MST. While that gap has narrowed substantially, it is still important to have a confident strategy while filing your claim, especially in order to get a full 100% VA rating.
In regards to PTSD and Mental Health, a 100% rating is assigned when you are considered to be totally socially and occupationally impaired.
100% VA Rating for PTSD Caused by MST
This rating will have the majority of the following circumstances and symptoms:
- The Ability to Care for Yourself: This individual cannot take care of themselves at all.
- Constant or near-constant hospitalization and one-on-one supervision are required.
- Medications: This individual requires psychiatric medication at all times.
Some or all of the following symptoms will be present:
- Regular or constant delusions or hallucinations and the inability to tell fact from fiction.
- Completely inappropriate behavior (like drooling, mumbling, shouting, etc.).
- There is constant danger of hurting self or others (including suicidal tendencies).
- Significant memory loss, including not being able to remember names of close friends, family, or self, and other important information.
- The individual cannot understand the idea of time or place.
- The individual cannot properly reason, think, or communicate logically.
- Constant anxiety, fear, suspicion.
- The Ability to Work: This individual cannot work at all.
- Social Relationships: This individual cannot participate in any relationships. In other words, they cannot interact or build a relationship with another person. Family members may care for them, but it is only a one-way relationship. They cannot seek, invite, or encourage any relationships.
Fortunately, you don’t have to meet all the subjective symptoms under the rating criteria for Mental Health in order to get the 100% disability rating. Your adjudicator Rating Service Rep (RVSR) will take all the evidence into consideration and will usually assign a rating that includes the “preponderance of symptoms.”
More good news is that PTSD is one of the most common VA claims to win. It is in the top 4 of the granted claims. In fact, 13.3% of all veterans who have been granted a VA disability claim for PTSD have received a 100% rating. This is much higher than most other disability claims.
To read a list of my TOP 10 VA Disability Claims, click HERE!
If you plan to file a claim, do so as soon as possible. One of the main hindrances to receiving benefits for issues concerning sexual assault is that many assaults are underreported or reported so long afterward.
You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.
WE CAN HELP.
Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call with an experienced Team Member. Learn what you’ve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you’ve earned for your service.
How Do I File a VA Disability Claim for MST?
Since MST is the cause of your condition, not the condition itself, you must first be diagnosed with a mental health diagnosis. Be sure to visit your medical professional and be as detailed as possible about your symptoms, the frequency of those symptoms, and how they impact your day-to-day life.
To receive a 100% VA rating for PTSD caused by MST, the VA will look for specific details to determine whether you are fully disabled.
Next, you will need your nexus letter from the medical professional. This is the letter that explains how your Mental Health diagnosis is linked to MST. Remember, the specific proof isn’t necessary, but the note must explain how it is “as least as likely than not” that your Mental Health diagnosis was caused by the traumatic event you experienced.
Finally, it’s time to gather and submit the evidence necessary to substantiate your claim. As discussed earlier in this article, the linking of Mental Health to MST now has a relaxed standard regarding specific evidence, as MST can be difficult to prove definitively. This is where it will be important to record all the “markers” discussed earlier and submit them in your claim.
This is where gathering buddy letters from those who knew you before and after the event will be helpful. Whether family, friends, or fellow service members, they will be able to testify to the markers they’ve noticed since your trauma occurred. These letters can greatly help substantiate your claim.
In all claims, the VA will look for evidence that establishes the event (of assault or harassment), proof that the event caused or aggravated your condition, and final proof that you are still suffering from a Mental Health condition.
It would definitely be helpful if the incident was reported while still serving in the military, for the records of the event will assist the VA in determining the connection. However, the VA now recognizes that many events are so traumatic they are not reported until much later, so not having a military record of the event will not derail your claim.
When you’re preparing to submit your evidence for the claim, you will want to fill out VA Form 21-0781a. This form is specifically for those who are filling a claim based on MST. The information requested in this form will assist you in supplying the evidence needed for your claim.
In conclusion, when filing your claim for MST, ensure that you have the following:
- Current diagnosis from a medical provider diagnosing you with a mental health condition
- Evidence of an in-service event, illness, or aggravation
- Personal statements written by you with credible supporting evidence
- Buddy letters describing the mental health symptoms
- Nexus letter connecting your diagnosis to your military service
Mental Health Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma
Where once there was a large gap between the percentage of Mental Health claims granted for MST and non-MST related claims, that gap has narrowed significantly. Just as of 2011, nearly 60% of all claims for PTSD not related to MST were granted, compared to just 35% for PTSD related to MST. Today they both are granted at around a 55% success rate.
Because MST is often not reported, especially not at first, the evidence standards for proving Mental Health diagnosis have been relaxed to include “markers.” Markers may be signs, events, or circumstances which provide circumstantial evidence of the MST occurrence. Examples of markers are:
- Records from official sources, including law enforcement, rape crisis centers, hospitals, physicians, counseling centers
- Pregnancy tests
- Tests for sexually transmitted diseases
- Decreases in work performance
- Requests for transfer to another duty assignment
- Statements from others
- Roommates
- Family
- Fellow service members
- Counselors
- Clergy
- Substance Abuse
- Depression, panic attacks, and anxiety without clear causes
- Sexual dysfunction
As this focus on increasing awareness of MST issues did not receive a big push until 2011, it’s recommended that anyone who filed a Mental Health claim related to MST claim before December 2011 takes the time to refile. Many more claims have been approved since.
Need Help With Getting a 100% VA Rating for PTSD Due to MST?
MST is a terrible reality for many veterans. It is a persistent problem, and the effects this trauma has on its survivors are still far from being fully understood.
While PTSD is one of the main conditions caused by MST, it can also cause depression, anxiety, and a number of other conditions.
Today the VA is working better than ever with survivors of MST to get them the benefits they deserve. If you’d like further help with your claim, the team here at VA Claims Insider would be happy to assist you.
The truth is, most veterans are underrated for their disabilities and, therefore, not getting their due compensation. At VA Claims Insider, we help you understand and take control of the claims process, so you can get the rating and compensation you’re owed by law.
Our process takes the guesswork out of filing a VA disability claim and supports you every step of the way in building a fully-developed claim (FDC)—so you can increase your rating FAST!
If you’ve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low rating—or you’re unsure how to get started—reach out to us! Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call. Learn what you’ve been missing—so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation YOU DESERVE!
About the Author
About VA Claims Insider
VA Claims Insider is an education-based coaching/consulting company. We’re here for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process. We also connect veterans with independent medical professionals in our referral network for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible independent medical opinions and nexus statements (medical nexus letters) for a wide range of disability conditions.
