Veterans may qualify for a VA rating for depression secondary to chronic pain if their depression is caused or worsened by their service-connected pain.
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In this article, we will explain how chronic pain and depression affect veterans, how the two conditions can be linked, and how to get VA disability for depression secondary to chronic pain.
Key Takeaways
- Veterans are more prone to both depression and chronic pain than their nonveteran counterparts.
- Research supports a strong, consistent connection between chronic pain and mental health.
- Veterans whose service-connected chronic pain leads to mental health issues could be owed additional VA benefits on a secondary basis.
In this article about the VA depression secondary to chronic pain rating:
Veterans and chronic pain
Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than three to six months. It may be constant or come and go over time. Veterans can experience chronic pain anywhere in the body.
Some cases are linked to injuries or medical conditions like arthritis or diabetes, while other times, chronic pain develops without explanation.
“An article published by the National Institutes of Health shows that veterans are 40% more likely to experience chronic pain than their non-veteran counterparts and that it affects veterans of all ages, the young and the older veterans,” said VA disability lawyer Lori Underwood.
Veterans and depression
Depression is a mental health disorder that affects a person’s mood, as well as how they think, act, and see the world. It can affect other factors like their sleep, appetite, and desire to participate in hobbies and activities they typically enjoy.
Generally, mental health conditions are common among veterans. Combat, military sexual trauma (MST), accidents, health issues and the loss of battle buddies can all be factors in veterans developing a mental health condition.
More than 1 in 10 veterans are believed to deal with major depression, though a much higher number may experience symptoms of depression.
VA depression secondary to chronic pain rating
Research supports a connection between chronic pain and mental health. Over time, persistent pain can affect the balance of stress hormones and other brain chemicals that influence mood and behavior. These changes may contribute to mental health conditions like depression.
Chronic pain is so closely linked to depression that one study found up to 85% of people with chronic pain experience severe depression and face a worse prognosis. Researchers have also found that chronic pain and depression can worsen one another, making both conditions more difficult to manage.
Veterans with service-connected chronic pain that leads to depression may qualify for additional VA disability benefits.
VA ratings for depression secondary to chronic pain
The VA offers disability compensation for both depression and chronic pain. When one service-connected health issue causes another, this is called a secondary service connection, and can qualify the veteran for benefits for both conditions.
The VA will assess your depression and chronic pain and provide VA disability ratings for each. Those ratings are combined with each other and any other disability ratings to determine your overall disability rating.
Below we outline the criteria the VA uses to assess these two conditions.
Depression VA ratings
A depression VA rating may be either 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. Ratings are based on how severe your symptoms are, and how much they interfere with your ability to live and work.
The rating criteria are as follows:
Chronic pain VA ratings
The VA doesn’t have a specific diagnostic code for chronic pain, but it does pay benefits for veterans who experience it.
This means VA disability benefits for chronic pain are based on the symptoms or impairments that result from your pain.
“If your chronic pain is unassociated with a diagnosed condition, then they will rate it based on the body part affected and rate it as closely as they can to establish the functional loss that you’re experiencing,” said Lori Underwood.
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TDIU for depression and chronic pain
In some cases, a veteran may be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for depression and chronic pain. TDIU is also known as individual unemployability or simply IU. Veterans are eligible for these benefits if they can’t maintain “substantially gainful” employment due to their service-connected conditions.
Depression and chronic pain can both significantly impact your ability to work. Daily pain can make it harder to sleep, think clearly, or complete everyday tasks. And depression can take a toll on motivation, focus, and working well with others.
Veterans who receive TDIU benefits are compensated at the same level as those with a 100% disability rating, even though their numerical combined rating is below 100%.
Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more
How Woods & Woods can help
Our TDIU lawyers have helped thousands of veterans nationwide who can no longer work because of their service-connected conditions. Call us today for your free, confidential TDIU case evaluation. You won’t pay us unless we win your claim.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. Veterans may qualify for VA disability benefits if their depression is caused or aggravated by a service-connected chronic pain condition. This is called secondary service connection.
The VA will assign a disability rating for the condition causing the chronic pain. It will also rate your depression under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The VA combines these ratings, as well as any others you may have, to determine your overall disability rating.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
