Posttraumatic stress disorder (DC 9411) | VA Rating Tool
| Diagnostic Code | 9411 |
|---|---|
| Category | Mental Disorders |
| Subcategory | Mental Disorders |
| Also Known As | combat stress, mental health, post traumatic stress, Posttraumatic stress disorder, ptsd, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, startle response, mst, military sexual trauma, sexual assault |
| CFR Section | 4.125-4.130 |
📊 What Veterans Actually Get
PTSD is the #3 most claimed condition with a 77% approval rate. The average rating is 70%. About 38% of approved claims receive 70%, and another 25% receive 50%.
Next Steps for This Condition
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 (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. |
Conditions Secondary to This
12 linksGeneralized anxiety commonly develops alongside or as a result of PTSD.
PTSD disrupts the autonomic nervous system, increasing stomach acid production. Stress is a well-documented trigger for GERD.
Chronic fight-or-flight activation from PTSD elevates blood pressure over time. Multiple studies support this link.
PTSD frequently causes or worsens major depressive disorder through chronic stress and trauma responses.
Research shows significantly higher rates of migraines among veterans with PTSD. Chronic stress and hyperarousal are migraine triggers.
PTSD causes hypervigilance, nightmares, and disrupted sleep patterns that contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. Medications for PTSD can cause weight gain and muscle relaxation.
PTSD medications such as SSRIs commonly cause erectile dysfunction. Chronic stress and anxiety also directly affect sexual function.
PTSD affects the gut-brain axis, disrupting normal bowel function. The stress response commonly manifests as GI symptoms.
PTSD-related stress and anxiety cause jaw clenching and teeth grinding, leading to TMJ disorder.
PTSD hypervigilance can worsen perception of tinnitus. Often co-occurs from shared combat noise exposure.
PTSD disrupts sleep architecture, leading to persistent fatigue even with adequate sleep time.
Self-medication with alcohol or drugs is common with PTSD.
This May Be Secondary To
2 linksTBI-related neurocognitive disorder frequently co-occurs with PTSD, with TBI increasing vulnerability to PTSD development.
The traumatic event causing TBI frequently also causes PTSD.
Disclaimer: Secondary connections shown are based on commonly established medical links. Individual claims require medical evidence. Consult a VSO or VA-accredited attorney.