Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a VA-ratable condition under diagnostic code 9411 in the Mental Disorders category. Maximum rating: 100%.
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | 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; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name |
| 70% | 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 which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships |
| 50% | Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory; impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships |
| 30% | Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks |
| 10% | Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency only during periods of significant stress |
| 0% | 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 |
Important Notes
Most commonly claimed mental health condition. 38 CFR ยง 4.129: When PTSD develops from highly stressful in-service event and is severe enough to cause discharge from service, VA shall assign MINIMUM 50% rating and schedule re-examination within 6 months. Combat veterans have relaxed stressor verification requirements.
Filing Tips
You're not alone in this. Seeking help and documenting your condition takes real strength.
Gather medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of this condition.
Document in-service events, injuries, or exposures that caused or aggravated this condition.
Consider a nexus letter from a medical professional linking your condition to service.
Review the rating criteria for DC 9411 to understand what symptoms warrant higher ratings.