<- Back to Intel BriefingsMarch 23, 2026 | By Cope | 12 min read
PTSD VA Rating Explained: What Each Percentage Actually Requires
PTSD is the most commonly claimed mental health condition at the VA, rated under Diagnostic Code 9411. This guide breaks down exactly what the VA looks at for each rating level, how the C&P exam works, and what secondary conditions connect to PTSD under 38 C.F.R. 3.310.
DISCLAIMER
Educational information based on publicly available VA regulations. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
How the VA Rates PTSD
All mental health conditions — PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder — are rated under the same General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders at 38 C.F.R. 4.130. The VA does not rate based on diagnosis severity. It rates based on occupational and social impairment. A veteran with "mild" PTSD who cannot hold a job rates higher than a veteran with "severe" PTSD who functions well at work.
38 C.F.R. 4.130, General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders; DC 9411
The Rating Levels
0%Diagnosed, No Impairment
A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication. This is service-connected at 0% — which still matters because it opens the door for secondary conditions and future increases.
10%Mild Impairment
Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.
30%Occasional Decrease in Work Efficiency
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss.
50%Reduced Reliability and Productivity
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect, circumstantial speech, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impairment of short-term and long-term memory, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.
70%Deficiencies in Most Areas
Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals interfering with routine activities, intermittently illogical speech, near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, impaired impulse control, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
100%Total Occupational and Social Impairment
Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, persistent danger of hurting self or others, inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, memory loss for names of close relatives or own name.
Combat Veterans: Stressor Concession
Under 38 C.F.R. 3.304(f)(2), veterans who served in combat do not need to prove a specific stressor event. If your service records show combat indicators (CIB, CAB, CAR, Purple Heart, or service in a designated combat zone), the VA concedes the stressor. Your claim only needs a current diagnosis and a nexus linking it to service. This is one of the strongest evidentiary standards in the VA system.
38 C.F.R. 3.304(f)(2); 38 U.S.C. 1154(b) (Combat Veteran Presumption)
MST-Related PTSD
For PTSD based on Military Sexual Trauma (MST), the VA uses a lower evidentiary standard under 38 C.F.R. 3.304(f)(5). The VA accepts "marker evidence" — behavioral changes documented in service records — instead of requiring corroborating evidence of the assault. Changes in duty performance, requests for transfer, substance use onset, or relationship changes in service records can all serve as markers.
38 C.F.R. 3.304(f)(5); M21-1, Part IV.ii.4.B
Secondary Conditions Connected to PTSD
Under 38 C.F.R. 3.310, conditions caused or aggravated by PTSD can be rated separately. The most common secondary conditions include: sleep apnea (published studies link PTSD to sleep-disordered breathing — CPAP use rates 50%), migraines and headaches, GERD and IBS (stress-mediated GI conditions), hypertension (chronic stress response), erectile dysfunction, and substance use disorder (when documented as self-medication for PTSD symptoms).
38 C.F.R. 3.310 (Secondary Service Connection); M21-1, Part IV.ii.1.C
Each secondary condition has its own diagnostic code and its own rating. These are combined using VA math under 38 C.F.R. 4.25. A veteran with PTSD at 70% who also has sleep apnea at 50%, migraines at 30%, and GERD at 10% as secondaries would have a combined rating well above 90%.
Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Educational tools only — not legal or medical advice. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (press 1) or text 838255.