What can I claim secondary to panic disorder?
4 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list panic disorder as a factor. If DVA has accepted your panic disorder, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionPanic disorder
- Conditions it may open4
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your panic disorder, and another condition's SoP lists panic disorder as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list panic disorder as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
RH No. 45 of 2024 · BoP No. 46 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (43): “having panic disorder at the time of clinical onset” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Duodenal ulcer and duodenal erosion
RH No. 49 of 2024 · BoP No. 50 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “being diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner with anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Gastric ulcer and gastric erosion
RH No. 51 of 2024 · BoP No. 52 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (22): “being diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner with anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Ischaemic heart disease
RH No. 27 of 2025 · BoP No. 28 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (27): “having one of following clinically significant disorders of mental health for at least the 5 years before clinical onset or clinical worsening; (a) adjustment disorder; (b) agoraphobia; (c) anxiety disorder; (d) depressive disorder; (e) panic disorder; (f) posttraumatic stress disorder; (g) schizophrenia; or (h) social anxiety disorder” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (19): “having one of following clinically significant disorders of mental health for at least the 5 years before clinical onset or clinical worsening; (a) adjustment disorder; (b) agoraphobia; (c) anxiety disorder; (d) depressive disorder; (e) panic disorder; (f) posttraumatic stress disorder; (g) schizophrenia; or (h) social anxiety disorder” [onset and worsening]
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Other accepted conditions that also open cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions panic disorder does.
What DVA means by panic disorder
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Panic disorder, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, panic disorder means a disorder of mental health meeting the following diagnostic criteria (derived from DSM-5): A. Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes, and during which time four (or more) of the following symptoms occur:
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(13) to 9(25) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, panic disorder where it was already present before or during service. If service caused panic disorder outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 55 of 2018 · BoP No. 56 of 2018 · 23 factors
What could support a claim for panic disorder?
The Statement of Principles for panic disorder names 4 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a panic disorder claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Sleep apnoea
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having sleep apnoea within the ten years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (18): “having sleep apnoea within the ten years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (21): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Epilepsy
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having epilepsy at the time of the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (22): “having epilepsy at the time of the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Migraine
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having migraine within the two years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (24): “having migraine within the two years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Panic disorder accepted?
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