For help with a claim or appeal, the people authorized to help are VA-accredited representatives. Many VSOs help for free.Find an accredited representative →
UnderstandMyRating

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders

Diagnostic codes 9201, 9202, 9203, 9204, 9205, 9208, 9210, 9211, 9300, 9301, 9304, 9305, 9310, 9312, 9326, 9327, 9400, 9403, 9404, 9410, 9411, 9412, 9413, 9416, 9417, 9421, 9422, 9423, 9424, 9425, 9431, 9432, 9433, 9434, 9435, 9440

This formula governs the mental disorders criteria published in 38 CFR §4.130. The criteria below are quoted from the regulation and are current as of 2026-07-07.

This explains the published rating criteria. It is not a prediction about any veteran’s claim, and only VA decides a rating.

38 CFR §4.130Regulation text current as of 2026-07-07

Published 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 (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); 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 (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).
10%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.
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.

Related condition pages

Related VA rating resources

Browse the VA rating criteria hub, use the combined-rating calculator to understand how ratings combine, or see the published figures in the VA disability pay chart.

UnderstandMyRating is an educational tool, not claims assistance or legal advice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Start your free decode →