Post-traumatic stress disorder claims from the viewpoint of veterans service officers

Objective: To situate veterans' experience of the Department of Veterans Affairs claims process in a broader context, this study explored the beliefs of veterans service officers (VSOs) about the Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims process for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: A mail survey of the county and national VSOs working in Minnesota was performed. Questionnaires included a modified version of the Disability Application Appraisal Inventory. Results: Most VSOs believe that veterans value the Department of Veterans Affairs disability status for PTSD to obtain validation for what they experienced in the military and that veterans have negative reactions to the claims process for PTSD. VSOs' satisfaction with the claims process was associated with beliefs about its fairness. Conclusions: In general, VSOs' beliefs about the reasons veterans value service connection for PTSD parallel those veterans report. More work is needed to determine how VSOs influence veterans, to determine whether PTSD claimants have special or unique needs as they undergo the claims process, and to explore fairness concerns.