What can I claim secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder?
12 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list posttraumatic stress disorder as a factor. If DVA has accepted your posttraumatic stress disorder, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionPosttraumatic stress disorder
- Conditions it may open12
- 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 posttraumatic stress disorder, and another condition's SoP lists posttraumatic stress 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 posttraumatic stress 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.
Alzheimer disease
RH No. 33 of 2019 · BoP No. 34 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least ten years before the clinical onset of Alzheimer disease” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
RH No. 45 of 2024 · BoP No. 46 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (45): “having clinically significant posttraumatic stress disorder within the 1 year before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (35): “having clinically significant posttraumatic stress disorder within the 1 year before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Note: clinically significant is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Discoid lupus erythematosus
RH No. 49 of 2025 · BoP No. 50 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having posttraumatic stress disorder for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
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 (19): “having posttraumatic stress disorder within the 3 months before the 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 (21): “having posttraumatic stress disorder within the 3 months before the clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Hashimoto thyroiditis
RH No. 1 of 2022 · BoP No. 2 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of Hashimoto thyroiditis” [clinical onset] — factor (19): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical worsening of Hashimoto thyroiditis” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Hypothyroidism
RH No. 3 of 2022 · BoP No. 4 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of hypothyroidism” [clinical onset] — factor (42): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical worsening of hypothyroidism” [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.
Neurocognitive disorder with lewy bodies
RH No. 35 of 2019 · BoP No. 36 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least ten years before the clinical onset of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Periodic limb movement disorder
RH No. 19 of 2023 · BoP No. 20 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having a clinically significant depressive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of periodic limb movement disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (18): “having a clinically significant depressive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical worsening of periodic limb movement disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: clinically significant is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
RH No. 47 of 2025 · BoP No. 48 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having posttraumatic stress disorder for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
RH No. 9 of 2023 · BoP No. 10 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least 5 years before the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (33): “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least 5 years before the clinical worsening of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Other accepted conditions that also open alzheimer disease
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions posttraumatic stress disorder does.
What DVA means by posttraumatic stress 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.
Posttraumatic stress disorder, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, posttraumatic stress disorder means a disorder of mental health which meets the following criteria (derived from DSM-5-TR): A. Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways: (i) directly experiencing the traumatic event (s) ; (ii) witnessing, in person, the event (s) as it occurred to others; (iii) learning that the traumatic event (s) occurred to a close family member or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event (s) must have been violent or accidental; or (iv) experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event (s) (for example, first responders collecting human remains; police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse). This criterion does not apply to exposure through electronic media, television, movies, or pictures, unless this exposure is work related; and B. Presence of one (or more) of the following intrusion symptoms associated with the traumatic event (s) , beginning after the traumatic event (s) occurred: (i) recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing m
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(8) to 9(15) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, posttraumatic stress disorder where it was already present before or during service. If service caused posttraumatic stress disorder outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 97 of 2022 · BoP No. 98 of 2022 · 13 factors
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 →
Posttraumatic stress disorder accepted?
Contact us for more information.