Last legally reviewed: September 7, 2026

PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder: veterans often assume each diagnosis has its own rating rules. In fact, the VA rates nearly all mental health conditions under a single tool, the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130. Understanding that formula tells you what actually drives a mental health rating, and it is not the name of the diagnosis.

This guide covers the rating levels, what the VA is really measuring, and the honest status of the proposed overhaul you may have read about.

The levels and what drives them

The formula assigns ratings at 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100 percent based on one core concept: the level of occupational and social impairment the condition causes. In plain terms, how much does it interfere with work and with relationships and daily functioning? A 10 reflects mild symptoms that decrease efficiency only during periods of significant stress. A 50 reflects reduced reliability and productivity. A 70 reflects deficiencies in most areas: work, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. A 100 reflects total occupational and social impairment. The rating follows the impairment, not the diagnosis label; two veterans with the same diagnosis can be rated very differently, and that is the system working as designed.

Three things veterans misunderstand

  • The symptom lists in the regulation are examples, not checklists. The regulation says such symptoms as, which means your particular symptoms can support a level even if they are not the ones listed. What matters is the overall frequency, severity, and duration, and the impairment they cause.

  • Multiple mental health diagnoses are generally rated together as one evaluation, not stacked. Overlapping symptoms cannot be paid twice, which is the anti-pyramiding rule doing its job.

  • Documentation of function wins ratings: missed work, strained relationships, concentration problems, and what a typical week actually looks like. Symptom naming without functional impact leaves raters guessing.

About the proposed overhaul

The VA has proposed replacing this formula with a model scoring five functional domains, and it has been widely covered. As of this writing, that proposal is not final: no final rule has been published, and the current formula in 38 CFR 4.130 remains the law. Existing ratings are also protected by the rules that prevent reductions without evidence of sustained improvement. If and when a final rule publishes, this page will be updated.

This rule has exceptions. Eating disorders currently use different criteria, and total ratings can also be reached through unemployability, which we cover in our TDIU guide. Individual cases vary. See how a mental health rating moves your combined rating.

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Frequently asked questions

Does medication controlling my symptoms lower my rating? The rating is based on your overall functional impairment as shown by the whole record. Describe your functioning accurately, including how you do with and without treatment, and let the record be complete.

Can I get separate ratings for PTSD and depression? Generally no; mental health conditions are evaluated together under one rating, because the same symptoms cannot be counted twice.

Is a 100 percent mental health rating possible? Yes, where the evidence shows total occupational and social impairment. TDIU is a separate route to the 100 percent rate for veterans who cannot maintain substantially gainful work.

Sources

VA Champion, LLC provides self-help software and general educational information. This article is educational only, not legal or medical advice, and not a substitute for an accredited representative. If you are struggling, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7: dial 988, then press 1.