What can I claim secondary to schizophrenia?
3 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list schizophrenia as a factor. If DVA has accepted your schizophrenia, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSchizophrenia
- Conditions it may open3
- 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 schizophrenia, and another condition's SoP lists schizophrenia 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 schizophrenia 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 (48): “having clinically significant schizophrenia within the 1 year before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: clinically significant is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Diabetes mellitus
RH No. 48 of 2020 · BoP No. 49 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “for type 2 diabetes mellitus only: (a) having smoked at least five pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus, and where smoking has permanently ceased, the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus has occurred within 15 years of cessation; (b) being exposed to second-hand smoke for at least 5,000 hours before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus, and where exposure to second-hand smoke has permanently ceased, the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus has occurred within 15 years of cessation; (c) being overweight or obese for at least five years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (d) an inability to undertake moderate physical activity of at least four METs for at least the five years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (e) having cirrhosis of the liver at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (f) having non-alcoholic steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (g) having infection with human immunodeficiency virus before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (h) having infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (i) having hypertension at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; Compilation No. 3 Compilation date: 19/09/2022 Authorised Version F2022C00898 registered 19/09/2022 (j) having chronic renal failure at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (k) having gout or hyperuricaemia at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (l) having posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (m) having depressive disorder at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (n) having bipolar disorder at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (o) having schizophrenia at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (p) having bilateral orchiectomy before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (q) having anti-androgen therapy as specified for at least the one year before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (r) being exposed to arsenic as specified before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (s) inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with a chemical agent contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD): (i) for a cumulative period of at least 500 hours, within a consecutive period of ten years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; and (ii) where the first exposure occurred at least five years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; and (iii) where that exposure has ceased, the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus has occurred within 25 years of cessation; or Compilation No. 3 Compilation date: 19/09/2022 Authorised Version F2022C00898 registered 19/09/2022 (t) for parous women only, inability to breast feed for a cumulative period of at least six months before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus” [clinical onset] — factor (22): “having schizophrenia at the time of the clinical worsening of diabetes mellitus” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (7): “for type 2 diabetes mellitus only: (a) having smoked at least five pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus, and where smoking has permanently ceased, the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus has occurred within 15 years of cessation; (b) being exposed to second-hand smoke for at least 5,000 hours before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus, and where exposure to second-hand smoke has permanently ceased, the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus has occurred within 15 years of cessation; (c) being overweight or obese for at least five years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (d) an inability to undertake moderate physical activity of at least four METs for at least the five years before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (e) having cirrhosis of the liver at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (f) having non-alcoholic steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (g) having infection with human immunodeficiency virus before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (h) having infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (i) having depressive disorder at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (j) having bipolar disorder at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (k) having schizophrenia at the time of the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; (l) having bilateral orchiectomy before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; Compilation No. 3 Compilation date: 19/09/2022 (m) having anti-androgen therapy with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist, including goserelin and leuprorelin, for at least the one year before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus; or (n) being exposed to arsenic as specified before the clinical onset of diabetes mellitus” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having schizophrenia at the time of the clinical worsening of diabetes mellitus” [worsening]
Note: one pack-year is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
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 schizophrenia does.
What DVA means by schizophrenia
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.
Schizophrenia, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, schizophrenia means a disorder of mental health meeting the following diagnostic criteria (derived from DSM-5): A. Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less if successfully treated), at least one being (i) , (ii) or (iii) : (i) delusions; (ii) hallucinations; (iii) disorganised speech (for example, frequent derailment or incoherence); (iv) grossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour; or (v) negative symptoms (that is, diminished emotional expression or avolition). B. For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, level of functioning in one or more major areas of life, such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, is markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset (or when the onset is in childhood or adolescence, there is failure to achieve expected level of interpersonal, academic or occupational functioning). C. Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less if successfully treated) that meet Criterion A and may include perio
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(13) to 9(20) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, schizophrenia where it was already present before or during service. If service caused schizophrenia outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 83 of 2016 · BoP No. 84 of 2016 · 15 factors
What could support a claim for schizophrenia?
The Statement of Principles for schizophrenia names 3 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a schizophrenia claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Substance use disorder
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having substance use disorder, involving cannabis, within the 20 years before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder involving a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from Specified List 1 of drugs, within the five years before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
Concussion
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having a concussion within the six months before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
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 →
Schizophrenia accepted?
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