Diagnostic Code 9411: PTSD Rating Criteria
- CFR section
- 38 CFR § 4.130. General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders
- Rating range
- 0% to 100%
- Rating levels
- 6
- Body system
- Mental disorders
The VA rates PTSD under diagnostic code 9411 in 38 CFR § 4.130. General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The table below is the full set of rating criteria, from the schedule itself, with the evidence factors raters look for at each level.
DC 9411 rating criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 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 What raters look forformally diagnosed mental condition; symptoms not severe enough to interfere with occupational and social functioning; symptoms not severe enough to require continuous medication |
| 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 What raters look formild or transient symptoms; work efficiency decreased only during periods of significant stress; symptoms controlled by continuous medication |
| 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) What raters look fordepressed mood; anxiety; suspiciousness; panic attacks (weekly or less often); chronic sleep impairment; mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) |
| 50% | Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity What raters look forflattened 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 |
| 70% | Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood What raters look forsuicidal 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 |
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment What raters look forgross 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 |
DC 9411 rating appeals at the Board
The Board of Veterans' Appeals issued 18,439 rulings on higher ratings, reductions and severance under diagnostic code 9411 from 2021 to 2026. It granted 44.8%, denied 52.8% and sent 2.5% back for more work. One appeal can contain more than one ruling.
| What the appeal asked for | Decided rulings | Granted |
|---|---|---|
| A higher rating | 18,097 | 44.0% |
| A rating VA reduced | 339 | 84.1% |
By the rating the Board's order named
Only orders that state a rating percentage with a date are counted. An order denying a rating "in excess of 50 percent" names the existing rating; a grant may name the rating awarded. These are not all ratings veterans requested.
| Rating the order named | Decided rulings | Granted |
|---|---|---|
| 30 percent | 689 | 10.7% |
| 50 percent | 1,581 | 35.2% |
| 70 percent | 3,559 | 60.6% |
| 100 percent | 719 | 93.5% |
| Two or more ratings for different periods (staged) | 166 | 23.5% |
Recorded exam issues in remanded DC 9411 rulings
Percentages use all 454 rating rulings under this code the Board remanded, 2021 to 2026. Some rulings have no recorded exam classification, and small categories are not shown, so these rows need not total 100 percent.
- The exam was out of date or the condition had worsened43.2%
- No exam problem recorded33.0%
- The VA exam or opinion was not adequate20.5%
- Another problem with the exam2.4%
Method: Claim Raven read each ruling in every Board decision stored for 2021 to 2026 and counted it under this code when the decision named DC 9411 for a rating question. These results cover only rulings with an identified diagnostic code and may not represent rulings where no code was stated. Granted includes partial grants; dismissed and withdrawn rulings are left out. These are outcomes within appeals, not first decisions, and not your personal odds.
Condition guide
The rating criteria are only part of the picture for PTSD. The PTSD condition page covers service connection, common evidence problems, secondary conditions, and Board outcome patterns in depth.
What happens to PTSD appeals at the Board
Claim Raven's analysis of 41,911 decided Board of Veterans' Appeals rulings on PTSD, 2021 to 2026. The PTSD condition page has the full breakdown, including which evidence types are associated with better outcomes.
Method: each ruling's outcome is read from the order in the Board's published decision and rolled up as granted (including partial grants), denied, or remanded, leaving out dismissals and withdrawals. The data codes the condition the Board ruled on, not the diagnostic code, so these numbers describe PTSD appeals generally rather than DC 9411 specifically. The DC 9411 section above counts this code's own rating appeals. Board outcomes describe appealed claims, not initial decisions.
Frequently asked questions
What is VA diagnostic code 9411?
Diagnostic code 9411 is the VA rating schedule entry for PTSD, found in 38 CFR § 4.130. General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The VA assigns this code when it rates the condition and applies the criteria listed on this page.
What ratings are possible under DC 9411?
DC 9411 provides ratings of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%. The percentage depends on which criteria your medical evidence documents, not on the diagnosis alone.
What does the highest rating under DC 9411 require?
The 100% rating for PTSD requires: Total occupational and social impairment.
How often does the Board grant a higher rating under DC 9411?
In 18,097 decided Board of Veterans' Appeals rulings on a higher rating under DC 9411 from 2021 to 2026, 44.0% were granted, 53.5% denied and 2.5% sent back for more work. These are appeal outcomes, not your personal odds.
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