The Playbook › Condition guides
PTSD gets most of the attention, but it is far from the only mental health condition VA compensates. Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, and others are all rated on the same scale, and many veterans qualify without ever having been in combat.
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The short version
- All mental health conditions use the same rating formula: 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%.
- You do not need a traumatic stressor for depression or anxiety, as you do for PTSD.
- These conditions are very often claimed as secondary to chronic pain, tinnitus, or another service-connected condition.
- You receive one combined rating for all mental health diagnoses.
- Mental health care at VA is available to many veterans regardless of rating.
On this page
Three ways to service connect depression or anxiety
1. Direct
Symptoms began in service. Evidence might include a mental health visit in your service treatment records, a change in performance evaluations, disciplinary problems that started suddenly, or statements from people who served with you. You need a current diagnosis and a medical opinion connecting it to service.
2. Secondary
This is the most common route. Living with a painful or limiting service-connected condition frequently leads to depression or anxiety, and the medical literature on that link is strong.
| Service-connected condition | How it commonly leads to depression or anxiety |
|---|---|
| Back, knee, and other orthopedic conditions | Chronic pain, loss of activities and independence |
| Tinnitus | Constant noise affecting sleep and concentration |
| Migraines | Unpredictable, disabling attacks |
| Sleep apnea | Chronic poor sleep |
| Traumatic brain injury | Direct effects on mood and cognition |
| Any condition that ended your career or keeps you from working | Loss of role, income, and purpose |
You need a diagnosis and a nexus opinion stating it is at least as likely as not that the service-connected condition caused or aggravated the mental health condition. See secondary conditions.
3. Aggravation
You had a mental health condition before service and service made it permanently worse.
How the rating is decided
VA uses the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. In summary:
| Rating | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 0% | Diagnosed, but no real effect on work or social life and no continuous medication |
| 10% | Mild symptoms that affect you only under significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication |
| 30% | Generally functioning, with occasional drops in work efficiency. Depressed mood, anxiety, sleep problems, mild memory loss, panic attacks weekly or less. |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity. Panic attacks more than weekly, memory and judgment problems, low motivation, difficulty keeping up work and social relationships. |
| 70% | Deficiencies in most areas of life. Suicidal thoughts, near-continuous depression or panic, poor impulse control, neglect of hygiene, inability to maintain relationships. |
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment |
The full table, with all the example symptoms, is in the PTSD rating guide. The same notes apply: the symptoms are examples, and the question is the overall level of impairment.
One rating for everything
If you are diagnosed with both depression and PTSD, or anxiety and depression, VA assigns one rating that reflects all your mental health symptoms together. It will not give you 50% for PTSD and another 30% for depression. That would be rating the same symptoms twice, which the rules prohibit.
This means a second diagnosis does not add a second rating. What it can do is make sure all your symptoms are counted in the one rating you have.
Evidence that helps
- A diagnosis from a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other qualified clinician
- Ongoing treatment records. Therapy notes and medication history show severity over time.
- Your own statement, with concrete examples: sleep, appetite, motivation, panic attacks and how often, isolation, effects on work
- Statements from family about the changes they have seen. See buddy statements.
- Work records: absences, warnings, lost jobs
- For secondary claims, a medical opinion tying it to the service-connected condition
At the C&P exam
Mental health exams are interviews. The examiner will ask about your mood, sleep, relationships, work, substance use, and safety. Veterans tend to understate. Describe a typical bad week, not your best day. If you have had thoughts of suicide, say so. See the C&P exam guide.
Other things to know
Personality disorders are not compensated by VA, because it treats them as conditions that existed before service. If you were discharged with a personality disorder label and believe the real issue was PTSD, depression, or the effects of a head injury, that diagnosis can be challenged with a current evaluation.
Substance use is not compensated when it is the primary problem. When it develops as a result of a service-connected mental health condition, it can be considered part of that condition.
Insomnia is usually treated as a symptom of the mental health condition and included in that rating, not rated separately.
Getting care now
You do not have to wait for a claim decision to get help. VA mental health services, Vet Centers, and community providers are available to many veterans regardless of disability rating. Treatment also creates the record that supports your claim.
If your conditions keep you from working
A 70% mental health rating meets the threshold for TDIU, which pays at the 100% rate.
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.