Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This section defines psychosis for the benefit rules in Part 3 by listing particular DSM-5 disorders. The definition matters when another rule uses the word psychosis as an eligibility category.
It does not mean every mental health condition or every distressing symptom. It also does not assign a disability percentage; mental health rating criteria and service-connection requirements are addressed elsewhere.
How this helps your claim
Compare the diagnosis in the treatment records with the listed disorders when a psychosis-related presumption is at issue. If the terminology differs, a clinician's clarification can help explain whether the diagnosed condition fits.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Locate the formal diagnosis and the date it was first established.
- Compare that diagnosis with the disorders listed in this section.
- Identify the separate presumption or benefit rule for which the definition matters.
Use the diagnosis required by the referenced rule
Psychosis can be used loosely in conversation, but this section supplies a specific list for Part 3. A symptom description, provisional assessment and confirmed diagnosis can have different meanings. Use the diagnosis actually recorded by the qualified professional.
Then identify the other provision that makes this definition relevant. A presumptive service-connection question may use the term for a particular purpose, while a disability rating applies separate criteria. Keeping those uses distinct avoids treating the definition as either a complete claim decision or a percentage table.
Does this include every PTSD, depression or anxiety diagnosis?
No. The definition lists particular disorders and should not be expanded to every mental-health condition. That does not mean other diagnoses are ineligible for benefits. It means their claims and evaluations must be considered under the provisions that actually apply to them.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.384
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.384 Psychosis.
For purposes of this part, the term “psychosis” means any of the following disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (see § 4.125 for availability information):
(a) Brief Psychotic Disorder;
(b) Delusional Disorder;
(c) Psychotic Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition;
(d) Other Specified Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorder;
(e) Schizoaffective Disorder;
(f) Schizophrenia;
(g) Schizophreniform Disorder; and
(h) Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a), 1101, 1112(a) and (b))
[79 FR 45099, Aug. 4, 2014]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 4.125: Mental health diagnoses in VA claims
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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