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A guide to writing a statement in support of your VA service connection claim for mental health based on a traumatic event
You can download this guide as a PDF to save or print for later use.
When applying for VA Service Connection for a mental health condition like anxiety, depression, or PTSD caused by a traumatic event in service, the VA will ask you to submit VA Form 21-0781. This form helps the VA gather details about what happened in service to connect your mental health condition.
Since the form has limited space, it's a good idea to attach a written statement explaining what you experienced and how it affects you today. This guide explains how to write your stressor statement, and what information will be important to include for your service-connected mental health claim
Before writing your statement, gather materials that can help you remember details about what happened. Your military records can help you confirm dates, locations, and events. For help requesting your records, check out Swords’ self-help guide on Requesting Your Military Records.
Other helpful materials include letters home, emails, text messages, social media posts, or a journal if you kept one. Reviewing these before you start writing may make the process easier.
Since writing about traumatic events can be emotional, consider having a counselor, therapist, or trusted friend available to support you. Avoid writing on weekends when professional help may be harder to reach.
Take breaks if needed—your statement doesn’t have to be written all at once. You can always set it aside and come back to it later.
If you can, write your statement on a computer. If that’s not an option, make sure your handwriting is clear and easy to read. On each page, include your name, your Social Security Number or VA Claim File Number, and the page number.
EXAMPLE
“I joined the [branch of service] on [date], and received an [Honorable, General, etc.] discharge on [date]. From [date] to [date], I was stationed in [location] with the [name of unit]. My job was [specify].”
Often, a stressor statement tells a story about change. Experiencing traumatic events can lead to changes in a person’s habits, behaviors, and personality.
EXAMPLE
For “being easily startled”, you could describe: “Someone set off fireworks by my house last week after the championship game, and I jumped out of my chair. It took over an hour for me to calm down.” Adding these sorts of details tells a more accurate account of what you experience.
Below is a list of common PTSD symptoms from the National Institute of Health. This list can help you recognize experiences, behaviors, or feelings you may have due to the traumatic event(s) in service.
Review the list and include in your statement any symptoms you experience.
Even if you don’t have PTSD but have another mental health condition related to your trauma, this list may still help you identify symptoms to mention in your statement.
Thoughts and feelings can trigger these symptoms, as can words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event.
Avoidance symptoms may cause people to change their routines.
EXAMPLE
Some people may avoid driving or riding in a car after a serious car accident.
Arousal symptoms are often constant. They can lead to feelings of stress and anger and may interfere with parts of daily life, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event. They can lead people to feel detached from friends or family members.
This memorandum provides general information only. It does not constitute legal advice,
nor does it substitute for the advice of an expert representative or attorney who knows
the particulars of your case. Any use you make of the information in this memorandum
is at your own risk. We have made every effort to provide reliable, up-to-date
information, but we do not guarantee its accuracy. The information in this memorandum
is current as of December 2025.
These materials are the property of Swords to Plowshares and are made available at no
charge. For parties interested in using or distributing these materials, please note that
no alterations are permitted and proper attribution must be given to Swords to
Plowshares.
© Copyright Swords to Plowshares 2025
Not everyone who applies is required to write a statement. For example, if you have a Purple Heart, a Combat Infantryman Badge, or a Combat Action Ribbon, the VA may be able to process your claim without one. The VA will notify you if one is needed.
Writing a stressor statement can itself be stressful. In many cases, you’re being asked to recall—and record—events that you’d rather forget. This is true not only for veterans who served in a combat zone, but also for veterans who suffered Military Sexual Trauma.
Before you sit down to start writing, line up a counselor, a therapist, or a friend—someone you can talk with if you find yourself overwhelmed by troubling memories and emotions. Avoid writing your statement on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, when help isn’t readily available. If necessary, put your statement aside and return to it later. There’s no rule that says it has to be written in one sitting.
To prepare the statement, you’ll almost certainly need to have your military records at hand. These records will help you to pinpoint dates, times, and places. For information about obtaining your records, visit www.stp-sf.org/guides/records.
Your service records are only one possible source of information for your stressor statement. If you wrote letters home, now is the time to retrieve them, if possible.
Is there a trail of e-mails or text messages that would be helpful? Are there postings on Facebook or other social media? Did you keep a journal or diary? Gather these materials before you start to write.
If possible, type your statement on a computer; otherwise, make certain your handwriting is legible. At the top of each page, type or print your full name, your Social Security Number or VA file number, and the page number.
Start your statement by introducing yourself to the reader. For example:
I joined the [branch of service] on [date], and received an [Honorable, General, etc.] discharge on [date]. From[date] to [date], I was stationed in [location] with the [name of unit]. My job was [specify].
Next, describe the stressful events in chronological order. For each event, give the date and place it occurred, and the name of the unit you were attached to. Tell what happened in as much detail as possible, and tell how you felt about what happened. Were you angry? Fearful? Sad? Numb?
You’re not expected to have a perfect memory. If you can’t recall something, don’t hesitate to say so. But do include as much detail as you can. Are there specific sights and sounds you can’t forget? If so, write about them.
If you don’t remember precisely when something happened, do your best to give the VA an approximate time frame. They’ll need it if it becomes necessary to verify your story by researching military records. You may be able to peg the event to another occurrence in your life. Did it happen close in time to a birthday? An anniversary? A holiday? A death?
Tell the truth. There’s no need to exaggerate or embellish. The facts are powerful enough. Let them speak for themselves.
A PTSD stressor statement tells a story about change. You were one person before the stressful events occurred, and in some respects a different person afterward.
Once you’ve described the stressful events, you’ll need to describe how they have affected you. Begin with a brief summary of your life before you entered the military. How well did you get along with members of your family? Did you have friends? A girlfriend or boyfriend? Did you go to school? Take part in school activities? Did you have a job? How well did you do it? Was religion important to you? If so, how? Did you play sports? Enjoy hobbies?
Next, tell what changed as a result of your military service. After you returned to civilian life, did your parents and friends have trouble understanding you? Did you have trouble on the job? Did you lose interest in sports? In religion? Did your partner see changes in you? Did your children? Have you noticed changes in your outlook on life?
Continue your statement by describing your current symptoms. If you’ve been in treatment for PTSD, you may have learned some of the terms that psychologists use to describe the classic symptoms—hypervigilance, startle reaction, irritability, avoidance, and so on. It’s good that you know these terms, because you also know that they apply to large numbers of men and women. They’re a reminder that you’re not alone.
But when you describe your symptoms in a written statement, specific examples are more helpful than technical terms. Remember, your task is to help the reader understand what has happened to you. “Startle reaction” is a dry and abstract term, but “I jumped six inches out of my chair when the firecrackers went off last July 4th” tells a story.
You don’t need to have all of the classic PTSD symptoms in order to be “service-connected” for this condition. Don’t be concerned about the symptoms you don’t have; instead, describe the ones you do have, and tell how they continue to affect you and the ones around you—at home, on the job, and in the community.
If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, you may be reluctant to discuss it in your statement. Keep in mind that veterans often resort to the use of drugs and alcohol because they can’t cope with the symptoms of PTSD.
We encourage you to be candid with the reader. When did you begin to use drugs or alcohol? Did your use increase after you experienced the stressful events that you described earlier in your statement? Have you been in treatment? Are you currently in treatment? If so, where? If you’re still using drugs or alcohol, how often do you use them? Do your best to explain why you use them. Are you now clean and sober? If so, for how long?
Next, tell the reader about your present state of mind. Are you feeling hopeful? Angry? Discouraged? Depressed? Are you getting treatment for PTSD? Do you intend to remain in treatment? Why (or why not)? Are you just living from day to day, or can you see the outlines of your future? What are your ambitions? How close are you to realizing them?
Conclude your statement with this declaration: I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Add your signature, and staple the pages together before you submit the statement to the VA.
No two stressor statements are alike. There’s no set length, and no mandatory format. We’ve attempted to give you an outline for a typical statement, but you may need to alter or even ignore this outline to get across to the reader what happened to you in the military, and how it has affected you. Don’t hesitate to do what you need to tell your story as fully and honestly as possible.
Disclaimer
This memorandum provides general information only. It does not constitute legal advice, nor does it substitute for the advice of an expert representative or attorney who knows the particulars of your case. Any use you make of the information in this memorandum is at your own risk. We have made every effort to provide reliable, up-to-date information, but we do not guarantee its accuracy. The information in this memorandum is current as of December 2012.
© Copyright Swords to Plowshares 2012. These materials are the property of Swords to Plowshares and are made available at no charge. For parties interested in using or distributing these materials, please note that no alterations are permitted and proper attribution must be given to Swords to Plowshares.
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