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
Every DVA claim is decided against a Statement of Principles — the legislative instrument listing the only factors capable of connecting a condition to service. Some of those 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, the hardest part of the next claim is already done — the condition is established, dated and on your file. You still need a diagnosis of the new condition, and the factor still has to be met on your evidence, including any threshold of time or severity written into it. But the pathway exists in the legislation rather than in an argument.
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
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least ten years before the clinical onset of Alzheimer disease”
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
Listed factor: “having clinically significant posttraumatic stress disorder within the 1 year before clinical onset”
Discoid lupus erythematosus
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening”
Duodenal ulcer and duodenal erosion
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder within the 3 months before the clinical onset or clinical worsening”
Gastric ulcer and gastric erosion
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder within the 3 months before the clinical onset or clinical worsening”
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of Hashimoto thyroiditis”
Hypothyroidism
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of hypothyroidism”
Ischaemic heart disease
Listed factor: “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) …”
Neurocognitive disorder with lewy bodies
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least ten years before the clinical onset of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies”
Periodic limb movement disorder
Listed factor: “having a clinically significant depressive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of periodic limb movement disorder”
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening”
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
Listed factor: “having posttraumatic stress disorder at least 5 years before the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder”
What else opens further claims
- Conditions secondary to diabetes mellitus
- Conditions secondary to hypertension
- Conditions secondary to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Conditions secondary to alcohol use disorder
- Conditions secondary to cirrhosis of the liver
- Conditions secondary to hepatitis c
- Conditions secondary to depressive disorder
- Conditions secondary to sarcoidosis
- Check every condition you have accepted →
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean I will be accepted for these conditions?
No. It means the legislation contains a pathway. The factor still has to be met on your evidence, and the new condition still has to be diagnosed by a qualified practitioner.
Do I need a new diagnosis for each one?
Yes. DVA cannot accept liability for a condition that has not been diagnosed. If something here matches symptoms you have been living with, that is the conversation to have with a doctor.
Is this the same as an aggravation claim?
No. Aggravation is where service worsened a condition you already had. A sequela is a separate condition arising from one already accepted, claimed in its own right with its own SoP.
Where does this information come from?
The Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles, as held in our SoP Library. We index the factor text of all 357 instruments. SoPs are amended regularly — confirm the current instrument before relying on it.
What should I do next?
Have your record read against these pathways. A chart review establishes which are actually provable, with the page reference behind each one.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.
With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.
Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.
Contact us0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
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