Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can follow exposure to trauma. In VA disability claims, PTSD is often identified with Diagnostic Code 9411 under the general rating formula for mental disorders. The VA rates PTSD based on how occupational and social impairment appears in the record, not based on a veteran's personal opinion alone.
Regulatory change notice: The VA has proposed a major overhaul of mental health rating criteria under 38 CFR 4.130. The proposed rule replaces the current "occupational and social impairment" formula with a five-domain system (cognition, interpersonal interactions, task completion, life activities, self-care) scored on severity levels 0–4. The proposed rule would also eliminate the 0 percent level so any diagnosed mental condition receives at least 10 percent. As of early 2026, this rule has not been finalized. Existing ratings are expected to be grandfathered. Always verify the live eCFR for the version in effect for your claim.
When you read this guide, remember the VA uses the Schedule for Rating Disabilities in 38 CFR Part 4. Ratings describe average impairment in earning capacity. They are not treatment plans and they are not legal advice about what you should file.
How the VA describes PTSD in the rating schedule
The VA groups PTSD with other mental disorders under a general formula. Typical percentage levels reference symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, memory problems, sleep impairment, and difficulty adapting to stress. Higher percentages reference more severe or more frequent problems, or deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, or mood.
The official language uses legal and medical terms. In practice, raters look for consistent clinical findings and credible lay statements that match the severity described in the schedule. A single emergency room visit rarely carries the same weight as years of mental health treatment notes.
Rating levels in plain language (general mental disorder formula)
The following is an educational summary. Always read 38 CFR 4.130 for the exact regulatory text.
- 100 percent: Total occupational and social impairment due to mental signs and symptoms. Regulatory examples include gross impairment in thought processes, danger to self or others, and severe memory loss.
- 70 percent: Severe impairment in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. Examples include suicidal ideation, near-continuous panic or depression, inability to establish relationships, and impaired impulse control.
- 50 percent: Reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, memory problems, and impaired judgment.
- 30 percent: Occasional decrease in work efficiency with intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, with symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, sleep impairment, and mild memory loss.
- 10 percent: Mild symptoms that decrease work efficiency only during periods of stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.
- 0 percent: A mental condition is formally diagnosed but symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with work or relationships, or are not continuous enough to warrant a higher evaluation.
Evidence the VA often considers (educational)
Raters commonly review service treatment records, private therapy notes, hospitalizations, medication lists, and VA examinations. Lay statements from family or coworkers may help when they describe observable changes in behavior, reliability, or daily functioning. The VA generally seeks consistency between reported symptoms and documented treatment.
Secondary and related conditions
PTSD often appears alongside other service-connected or claimed conditions. For educational reading, see guides on tinnitus, sleep apnea, and depression. Each page summarizes separate diagnostic codes and rating ideas.
Combined ratings and planning tools
If you want to model how multiple percentages combine under VA math, use the VA disability calculator. Combined ratings are not simple addition. The calculator helps you explore outcomes before you read a decision letter.
Rating criteria date reminder
Rating criteria current as of 2026-04-01 (matches frontmatter ratingCriteriaDate; confirm wording in the live eCFR).
Stressors and the difference between service connection evidence and rating evidence
Many veterans first learn VA language through stressors and fear of hostile military or terrorist activity rules. Those topics address whether PTSD is service connected. After service connection, Diagnostic Code 9411 still routes the percentage through the general rating formula for mental disorders in 38 CFR 4.130. The rating step asks how occupational and social impairment looks in treatment records, exams, and credible lay statements, not whether a stressor is disputed.
Compensation and pension interviews for PTSD themes
Examiners often use structured interviews that align with DSM criteria used in VA policy. They may ask about nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance, and mood. Answer clearly and consistently with your treatment history. If a question is unclear, it is appropriate to ask for clarification. If symptoms vary by week, describe a typical pattern rather than only the best or worst day.
Examiners also note appearance, speech, hygiene, and behavior during the visit. Those observations can appear in the report alongside symptom checklists. The written report should still tie conclusions to the schedule language about occupational and social impairment.
Global Assessment of Functioning and newer clinical tools
Older records sometimes reference GAF scores. Current clinical practice may use different scales. Raters generally focus on functional descriptions rather than a single number, but historical GAF references can still appear in legacy decisions. When you read an old decision, note the date context.
Work impairment without telling anyone what to claim
The schedule speaks in terms of reliability, productivity, and impairment in most areas. Vocational rehabilitation files, workplace reasonable accommodation letters, and attendance records sometimes appear in the evidence. The VA weighs probative value case by case. This page does not coach anyone to gather specific job documents; it explains why work history sometimes appears in PTSD files.
Substance use and PTSD records
When substance use disorders appear in the chart, VA adjudicators apply regulatory rules about willful misconduct and secondary conditions. Those issues are legally complex. Accurate treatment notes that document sobriety efforts, relapses, and dual diagnosis care help the file reflect reality. This guide stays educational and does not predict legal outcomes.
Traumatic brain injury overlap
Some veterans have both PTSD and TBI residuals. TBI may be rated under Diagnostic Code 8045 when applicable. Pyramiding rules limit paying twice for the same disability. Clear separation of cognitive symptoms attributed to TBI versus PTSD, when clinicians provide it, can help readers follow the decision.
Sleep and sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a separate respiratory schedule condition under Diagnostic Code 6847 when service connected. PTSD often disrupts sleep, but sleep apnea diagnosis and rating follow different tests and rules. Veterans may have both conditions in the same health story without blending the legal analyses.
Tinnitus and startle
Hypervigilance and tinnitus sometimes coexist. Tinnitus uses Diagnostic Code 6260. Auditory and mental health codes are distinct even when symptoms feel connected in daily life.
Depression and combined evaluations
Depression may be rated under Diagnostic Code 9434 or related codes using the same general mental disorder formula. When PTSD and another mental disorder are present, VA rules address pyramiding and separate evaluations. Decisions should explain whether one combined evaluation or separate evaluations apply under current policy.
Intimate partner relationships and social impairment
The schedule references family relations and social impairment. Brief relationship counseling notes, protective orders, or police reports may appear in some files. Those documents can be sensitive. Representatives help veterans understand privacy and relevance. This page only notes that social impairment is a regulatory theme, not that any particular document is required.
Panic attacks and the 50 percent example language
38 CFR 4.130 lists panic attacks more than once a week as an example at the 50 percent level alongside other examples. A veteran could have fewer panic attacks yet still fit another part of the criteria. The regulatory list is illustrative; the whole formula matters.
Suicidal ideation and crisis documentation
70 percent level examples include suicidal ideation in the regulatory text. Crisis lines and emergency care create short records that differ from ongoing therapy notes. If you seek crisis care, clinical safety comes first. Rating outcomes are secondary to immediate safety.
Medication stability and the 10 percent level
The 10 percent level mentions symptoms controlled by continuous medication. Stable medication does not automatically cap a rating if symptoms still cause impairment described at higher levels. Conversely, missing doses does not by itself prove a higher rating. The record as a whole matters.
PTSD and military sexual trauma
VA has specialized training and procedures for certain trauma types. Privacy rules affect how much appears in a decision letter. Rating still follows DC 9411 and the general formula when service connection is established under applicable rules.
Deployment cycles and delayed onset
Some veterans feel fine during service and notice symptoms years later. Clinicians document delayed onset when supported. The rating schedule does not require symptoms in theater if service connection is already accepted under governing law.
Evidence continuity across moves
PCS moves and gaps in civilian insurance can fragment records. A personal timeline of where you received care helps representatives request records. The VA also obtains federal records when properly identified.
Buddy statements and granular detail
Lay statements work best when they describe observable changes: irritability, withdrawal, missed family events, or concentration problems witnessed over time. Generic praise for military service helps morale but does less work for rating than concrete examples tied to dates.
Vocational expert reports
Sometimes vocational evidence appears in TDIU discussions. TDIU is a separate benefit concept from schedular percentages. This page focuses on DC 9411 percentages, not individual unemployability claims.
Routine future examinations
The VA may schedule future exams to verify ongoing severity. Symptom change, good treatment response, or new stressors can all affect what a new exam shows. Increased rating claims also trigger fresh review.
Reading a rating decision paragraph about PTSD
Decisions usually quote 38 CFR 4.130 language and map exam findings to a chosen percentage. If the decision omits discussion of a hospitalization that appears in the file, a representative may compare the evidence list to the reasoning section. This site does not provide appeal advice.
Combined rating practice
Use the VA disability calculator with tinnitus, sleep apnea, depression, or knee style conditions to study VA combination math. Combined ratings are not additive sums.
Research studies versus the rating schedule
Neuroimaging and genetic research on PTSD advance science. VA adjudicators decide cases on regulatory criteria and the evidence of record, not on popular science headlines.
Cultural competence and stigma
Some communities discourage mental health care. When veterans later seek care, records may start midlife. Gaps do not automatically disprove PTSD; they explain why evidence starts at a certain date.
Children and parenting stressors
Parenting while symptomatic can appear in therapy notes as functional impact. Those notes illustrate daily life; they do not replace a structured exam.
Complementary care records
Yoga, acupuncture, or chaplaincy notes sometimes appear. The VA may accept them as part of the record when they contain relevant clinical observations, depending on probative value rules.
Privacy when using digital apps
Mental health apps generate user reports. Before submitting exports to anyone, consider what is included and whether it helps tell an accurate story.
Final educational note on Diagnostic Code 9411
DC 9411 labels PTSD in the schedule while the percentage comes from the general mental disorder formula. Keep the code visible when comparing this guide to 38 CFR so you do not confuse diagnostic labeling with unrelated mental health codes.
Group therapy, IOP, and level of care notes
Partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, and weekly group therapy all signal different levels of structure in care. The schedule does not award points for program names. It looks at occupational and social impairment described in clinical progress notes, discharge summaries, and exams. A brief IOP stay with strong outcomes can coexist with a high impairment picture if community functioning remains very limited, or the reverse depending on the record. Readers should avoid assuming any one program length decides a percentage.
Anger, irritability, and impulse control
70 percent examples in 38 CFR 4.130 include impaired impulse control. Police encounters, workplace write ups, or domestic tension may appear in some files. Those facts are sensitive and legally complex. Treatment notes that document coping skills training or medication adjustments show how clinicians responded over time.
Memory complaints versus neuropsychological testing
PTSD can affect concentration and memory subjectively. Objective neuropsychological testing sometimes appears when TBI is in question. Interpreting scores belongs to qualified professionals. Raters consider how examiners explain test results in plain language tied to daily functioning.
Telehealth and video exams
Tele mental health visits became more common. Decisions should account for legitimate telehealth records the same as in person notes when they meet policy. If an exam was in person versus telehealth, the report usually states the modality.
Legal disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice. Rating criteria are summarized from publicly available 38 CFR regulations. Consult a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or VA-accredited attorney for advice on your specific claim.