Navigating the VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire for PTSD

The stress and trauma that many veterans experienced during their military service can lead them to develop debilitating symptoms from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans with service-connected PTSD may qualify for disability benefits from the VA. The application process for VA disability benefits will require a veteran to have a treating healthcare provider or mental health expert complete a disability benefits questionnaire (DBQ). The VA has specific DBQs, including for PTSD. Knowing what to expect in a PTSD DBQ can improve your chances of success in your VA disability benefits application. 

Understanding the VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire for PTSD

The VA’s DBQs help the agency collect standardized medical information about a veteran’s condition to assess the validity of their disability claim and assign a disability rating to a verified service-connected condition. The VA has DBQ forms for specific medical or mental health conditions or categories of conditions, including a specific form for PTSD. 

A VA-employed or independent medical/mental health expert completes the DBQ after examining a veteran or reviewing their medical or mental health records. A DBQ for PTSD includes several sections that ask the licensed professional to answer yes/no questions, check boxes for applicable symptoms or limitations, and provide brief narrative answers to other questions.

How the DBQ Affects Your VA Disability Rating

The VA uses the information provided by a licensed medical or mental health provider in a DBQ to assess whether a veteran has a diagnosed condition and to assign a disability rating to that condition. The provider’s evaluation of the symptoms and limitations caused by a veteran’s PTSD will give the VA information to correlate to the criteria for a specific disability rating. The veteran’s disability rating then determines, along with the number of dependents in the veteran’s household, the amount of the monthly disability benefit payment. 

Key Sections of the DBQ

The VA’s PTSD DBQ includes three sections. The first section requires the authoring medical professional to provide a diagnostic summary of the veteran’s PTSD. This section asks questions or for information such as:

• Whether the veteran has a current or past diagnosis of PTSD
• The veteran’s current diagnosis(es) of mental disorders
• Whether the veteran has had a diagnosed traumatic brain injury
• Whether the professional can attribute symptoms to each of a veteran’s mental disorders or TBIs
• The veteran’s occupational and social impairment

The following section asks the medical professional to provide their clinical findings regarding a veteran’s PTSD. The professional must identify what records they reviewed, such as service, VA, and private treatment records. They also must describe the veteran’s relevant social, family, occupational, mental health (including prescribed medications and family mental health history), behavioral, and substance abuse history. This section also requires the professional to identify the diagnostic criteria indicating PTSD and the symptoms caused by the veteran’s condition. 

Finally, the third section requires the professional completing the DBQ to certify their responses and sign the form. 

Common Challenges Veterans Face with PTSD Claims

Frequent difficulties that veterans experience in pursuing VA disability benefits claims based on PTSD include:

• Challenges in describing symptoms with adequate detail without exaggerating or minimizing them
• Fear of stigma or social and professional repercussions in admitting to mental health struggles
• Lack of compelling evidence directly connecting PTSD and its symptoms to in-service events
• Differences in how providers complete the DBQ, which can affect the completeness or persuasiveness of the document

Contact a VA Disability Attorney Today

When you apply for VA disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, understanding the use of disability benefits questionnaires can help you strengthen your claim. Contact Veterans Benefits Law Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability benefits attorney to learn more about DBQs in your benefits claim for service-connected PTSD.