Va Rating For Depression Secondary To Chronic Pain

So in my case did they kind of jump over my chronic pain claim and just give me a rating for depressive disorder.

Va rating for depression secondary to chronic pain. If you have service-connected chronic pain that you believe is the cause of your depression contact an experienced VA disability lawyer to help file your claim. Similarly chronic pain may lead to depression about the pain. Chronic Pain can be linked to a number of different reasons including injury disease or damage to nerves. How the VA Rates Chronic Pain Secondary Depression.

If your major depressive disorder is considered a service-connected disability the VA will assign a rating of either 0 10 30 50 70 or 100. So veterans dont receive a VA disability rating for chronic pain specifically. Hospitalization and Temporary Total Ratings If a veteran is hospitalized for 21 days or more due to their depression they may be eligible to receive a temporary total rating of 100 percent. If you receive a 0 rating the VA found your major depressive disorder to be service-connected but also found that the condition does not affect your life enough to receive benefits.

While there is no VA disability rating schedule for chronic pain disorder you can approximate the effects of all your service-connected disabilities through the secondary service-connected disability doctrine. VA does not have a specific diagnostic code or rating criteria for chronic pain. Its possible for a veteran to receive a 0 percent rating if she has symptoms of depression that dont impair her ability to function perform daily tasks or engage in social activities. The VA rates depression according to a percentage scale.

Depression caused by chronic pain can quickly render one incapable of maintaining a gainful occupation. Many veterans have lived with chronic pain for so long they dont even realize it is causing depression. Veterans can submit a claim for secondary depression using the Psychological Rating System Code 9434. Veterans that have serious chronic pain should be examined by a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Each VA rating for depression is assigned a list of symptoms but how does the VA apply this disability rating system. In order to qualify for a temporary hospitalization rating veterans must be receiving treatment at a VA medical center or other VA-approved hospital. This is where the VA cites depressive disorder clinical depression. 0 10 30 50 70 and 100.

A recent ruling by the US. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims may have a major effect on the outcome of many veterans disability claims. Ruling overturns nearly 20 years of VA rating decisions. Your attorney will be able to recharacterize your claim as one for depression secondary to chronic pain.

Secondary Conditions for Chronic Pain. Chronic pain is a condition which directly affects someones mental health. In other words VA assigns ratings based on the functional impact from the service-connected condition. To qualify for benefits for secondary depression a veteran.

In some cases chronic pain is persistent for years of someones life. It is proven that depression is linked to many quality of life problems that can also interfere with your earning capabilities. I notice on this topic chonic pain was primary and depressive disorder was secondary. Sometimes the VA rating for depression can be higher than the rating for the original physical injury.

To receive VA disability benefits for chronic pain the symptoms resulting must be ratable. Under this procedure you can include claims for secondary disabling conditions that have a nexus to a primary disability. This is because the VA does not have a specific diagnostic code for chronic pain. Now that we have successfully explained a primary claim for Chronic Pain we can look at secondary conditions that are directly linked to this specific disability.

Im still trying to figure out why my chronic pain claim was not listed in the VA system. Through anxiety lack of sleep hopelessness and depression chronic pain can reveal.