Generalized Anxiety Disorder vs PTSD: VA Rating Comparison
Educational reference, not legal advice or claims assistance. This page compares how the VA rates two conditions. It does not tell you which to claim; that depends on your diagnosis and evidence. For help with a specific claim, work with a free VA-accredited representative.
How the VA rates Generalized Anxiety Disorder (diagnostic code 9400) compared with PTSD (diagnostic code 9411), under 38 CFR Part 4. This is a factual side-by-side of the rating criteria, the kind veterans look up when two conditions sound similar.
Same rating ladder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD are rated on the same set of percentage levels (often the same rating formula). The percentages and criteria match; what differs is the diagnosis and the medical evidence each requires. A higher rating is not won by picking one label over the other.Rating criteria side by side
DC 9400 · Mental Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Maximum schedular rating: 100%
| 100% | You cannot work or function in social situations at all because of severe generalized anxiety disorder symptoms. This includes having major problems with thinking clearly or communicating with others, seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations) or believing things that aren't true (delusions), acting in ways that are completely inappropriate for the situation, being a danger to yourself or others, sometimes being unable to take care of basic needs like bathing or eating, being confused about what time it is or where you are, or forgetting the names of family members, what your job was, or even your own name. |
|---|---|
| 70% | You have serious problems in most areas of your life - work, school, family relationships, thinking clearly, and controlling your emotions or behavior. Your generalized anxiety disorder symptoms significantly interfere with your daily life, such as having thoughts of suicide, doing repetitive behaviors that get in the way of normal activities, speaking in ways that don't make sense, having constant panic attacks or severe depression, losing control of your temper or becoming violent without reason, getting confused about where you are, not taking care of your appearance or cleanliness, struggling badly when stressed (especially at work), or being unable to form and keep healthy relationships with others. |
| 50% | Your job performance and social life are significantly affected by symptoms that make you less reliable and productive at work. These symptoms include having little emotional expression (flattened affect), speaking in roundabout or repetitive ways, having panic attacks more than weekly, trouble following complicated instructions, memory problems where you forget tasks or only remember things you knew very well before your condition, poor decision-making, difficulty with abstract concepts, problems with motivation and mood swings, and struggles building or keeping good relationships at work and in your personal life. |
| 30% | You're generally able to work and take care of yourself normally, but generalized anxiety disorder occasionally makes your work performance drop and sometimes prevents you from completing work tasks altogether. The symptoms that qualify include feeling depressed or anxious, being suspicious of others, having panic attacks about once a week or less, trouble sleeping on an ongoing basis, and mild memory problems like forgetting people's names, how to get places, or things that happened recently. |
| 10% | You qualify for this rating if your generalized anxiety disorder symptoms are mild and only cause problems at work or in social situations when you're under significant stress, or if your symptoms are well-controlled by taking medication regularly. Your day-to-day functioning is mostly normal, but during stressful periods you may have difficulty completing work tasks efficiently or maintaining your usual performance level. |
| 0% | You have been officially diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder by a doctor, but your symptoms are mild enough that they don't get in the way of your job performance or relationships with family and friends. You either don't need to take medication for your condition, or if you do take medication, you don't need to take it every single day to function normally. |
DC 9411 · Mental Disorders
PTSD
Maximum schedular rating: 100%
| 100% | You cannot work or function in social situations at all because of severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. This includes having major problems with thinking clearly or communicating with others, seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations) or believing things that aren't true (delusions), acting in ways that are completely inappropriate for the situation, being a danger to yourself or others, sometimes being unable to take care of basic needs like bathing or eating, being confused about what time it is or where you are, or forgetting the names of family members, what your job was, or even your own name. |
|---|---|
| 70% | You have serious problems in most areas of your life: work, school, family relationships, thinking clearly, and controlling your emotions or behavior. Your PTSD symptoms significantly interfere with daily life, such as having thoughts of suicide, doing repetitive rituals that disrupt normal activities, speaking incoherently, having near-continuous panic attacks or severe depression, losing control of your temper or becoming violent without reason, getting confused about where you are, neglecting personal hygiene or appearance, struggling severely when stressed (especially at work), or being unable to form and keep healthy relationships. |
| 50% | Your job performance and social life are significantly affected by symptoms that make you less reliable and productive at work. These symptoms include having little emotional expression (flattened affect), speaking in roundabout or repetitive ways, having panic attacks more than weekly, trouble following complicated instructions, memory problems where you forget tasks or only remember things you knew very well before your condition, poor decision-making, difficulty with abstract concepts, problems with motivation and mood swings, and struggles building or keeping good relationships at work and in your personal life. |
| 30% | You're generally able to work and take care of yourself normally, but posttraumatic stress disorder occasionally makes your work performance drop and sometimes prevents you from completing work tasks altogether. The symptoms that qualify include feeling depressed or anxious, being suspicious of others, having panic attacks about once a week or less, trouble sleeping on an ongoing basis, and mild memory problems like forgetting people's names, how to get places, or things that happened recently. |
| 10% | You qualify for this rating if your posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms are mild and only cause problems at work or in social situations when you're under significant stress, or if your symptoms are well-controlled by taking medication regularly. Your day-to-day functioning is mostly normal, but during stressful periods you may have difficulty completing work tasks efficiently or maintaining your usual performance level. |
| 0% | You have been officially diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder by a doctor, but your symptoms are mild enough that they don't get in the way of your job performance or relationships with family and friends. You either don't need to take medication for your condition, or if you do take medication, you don't need to take it every single day to function normally. |
Criteria are summarized in plain language. The controlling text is the Schedule for Rating Disabilities, 38 CFR Part 4. Full criteria for each are on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD code pages.
Can both be rated at the same time?
The VA generally does not rate the same disability twice. Under the anti-pyramiding rule (38 CFR 4.14), two conditions are rated separately only when they cause distinct, non-overlapping symptoms. When the symptoms overlap, the VA assigns a single rating under whichever code best fits. Whether Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD can be rated separately depends on the symptoms documented in the evidence. See the pyramiding guide.
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