Comment on FR Doc # N/A

This Department of Veterans Affairs records schedule highlights how mental health and psychological documentation is managed within the Veterans Health Administration, including clinical research folders, mental health treatment records, and psychological test data. While the proposal classifies all three categories as temporary due to limited administrative scope and internal use, from a psychological perspective these records often have lasting clinical value. Mental health documentation and test results can be essential for understanding long-term conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, especially in veteran populations where care is often ongoing and cumulative across years of treatment. At the same time, the proposal reflects important concerns about privacy, data security, and efficient records management, since psychological records contain highly sensitive personal information. However, labeling these records as having limited long-term value may underemphasize their role in continuity of care, treatment planning, and mental health research. A more balanced approach could include stronger safeguards, de-identification for research use, and differentiated retention periods that preserve clinically significant psychological testing and longitudinal treatment data while still protecting patient privacy and reducing unnecessary storage risks.