Anxiety VA Rating Guide: How to Qualify and Get the Rating You Deserve

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If your military service caused or worsened your anxiety, you may qualify for VA disability compensation and benefits. The VA rates anxiety from 0% to 100%, depending on how much your symptoms affect your work and daily life.

In this guide, we explain the VA’s anxiety rating criteria, what evidence you’ll need, and how to strengthen your claim, so you can get all the benefits you deserve. 

Summary of Key Points

• The VA rates anxiety at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% based on occupational and social impairment.

• You must have a current diagnosis, persistent symptoms, and prove service connection

• The most common mental health VA rating (including anxiety) is 70%.

• Strong evidence includes medical records, a Nexus letter, symptom tracking, and lay statements.

• A C&P exam is critical (prepare with detailed symptom examples from daily life).

How Anxiety Impacts Veterans

Nearly 8% of the veteran population suffers from generalized anxiety disorder. 

How many are getting the VA benefits they’ve earned for their service? 

If you served our country and suffer from an anxiety disorder, then this complete guide can help you get the VA disability benefits YOU DESERVE. 

Don’t leave money on the table! And DON’T buy into the myths and stigmas that surround mental health conditions. There is no shame in taking advantage of the benefits your service has put at your disposal. 

Keep reading for everything you need to know about getting an anxiety VA rating👇 

How to Get an Anxiety VA Rating: Basic Eligibility Criteria

To win your anxiety VA claim and be eligible for an anxiety VA rating, you must meet three criteria by law: 

1. You have a current medical diagnosis of an anxiety disorder in a medical record (Service Treatment Records, VA medical records, or private medical records). The VA has a “duty to assist,” which means they’ll help you find the records you need to support your claim. 

2. Your Anxiety was caused or made worse by your military service. This is known as service connection (I will explain more in the next section). 

3. You have persistent and recurring symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Even if you have an anxiety diagnosis, if your symptoms go away, you aren’t eligible for a VA rating. 

If you think you have a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder, but don’t have a medical diagnosis, pick up the phone and call the VA mental health facility nearest you to make an appointment right away! 

How to Service Connect Anxiety

To win a VA claim for anxiety, you need to show that your condition is connected to your military service. This is called “service connection,” and there are three main ways to establish it:

1. Direct Service Connection

You’ll need:

• A current medical diagnosis of anxiety from a qualified provider.
• Evidence of an in-service event, injury, or illness that caused or worsened your anxiety (e.g., combat exposure, military sexual trauma, prolonged high-stress deployments).
• A medical link (“nexus”) showing it’s at least as likely as not that your service caused or worsened your anxiety.

2. Secondary Service Connection

If you already have a service-connected disability, you may be able to claim anxiety as secondary. For example, anxiety can develop due to tinnitus, PTSD, chronic pain, or other physical injuries. Medical evidence must show your primary condition either caused or aggravated your anxiety.

3. Aggravation of a Pre-Existing Condition

If you had anxiety before service, but it became worse due to your time in uniform, you may qualify under aggravation. The key is proving that your service made the condition worse beyond its natural progression.

Note: Anxiety is not a VA presumptive condition, so it must be claimed through one of the three paths above.

Pro Tip: Your final VA rating for anxiety will depend on the severity and frequency of your symptoms, and how much they affect your work and daily life.

How the VA Rates Anxiety

Currently, the VA could give you an anxiety VA rating of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%, depending on the severity of your symptoms. The average mental health VA disability rating (including anxiety) is 70%. 

VA Diagnostic Codes for Anxiety Disorders

The VA uses specific 4-digit Diagnostic Codes (DCs) to identify and rate anxiety disorders. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

• DC 9400 – Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  Ongoing, excessive worry about everyday situations that are difficult to control and impact work, relationships, or daily functioning.
• DC 9403 – Phobias (including Social Anxiety Disorder)
  Intense, irrational fear of specific situations, places, or objects — such as crowds, flying, or social interaction — that leads to avoidance, panic attacks, or major disruptions in daily life.
• DC 9410 – Other Specified Anxiety Disorders
  Covers diagnosed anxiety disorders that don’t fit into another specific category.
• DC 9412 – Panic Disorder and/or Agoraphobia
  Repeated, severe panic attacks that may occur unexpectedly or in certain situations, often paired with a fear of public places or situations where escape might be difficult.
• DC 9413 – Unspecified Anxiety Disorder
  Used when an anxiety disorder is diagnosed but doesn’t meet the full criteria for a named condition.

Note: All mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, are rated under the same general formula for mental disorders (38 CFR § 4.130).

VA Rating Scale for Anxiety

The VA rates the anxiety disorders listed above using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. 

The formula considers two main circumstances: 

1. Occupational impairment. Does your anxiety affect your work performance or keep you from maintaining a job?  

2. Social impairment. Does your anxiety make it so you have a hard time in social situations and with maintaining healthy relationships? 

The VA rates these symptoms at either 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%:  

Anxiety VA Rating Chart

Below is the 38 CFR VA Rating Scale for Anxiety and Depression.

VA Rating for Anxiety 38 CFR Criteria	VA Rating Percentage
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.	100%
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.	70%
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.	50%
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).	30%
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.	10%
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.	0%

VA Rating Scale for Anxiety (Explained)

0 Percent

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. 

This means you have a medical diagnosis for an anxiety disorder, but no subjective symptoms. 

You have no occupational and social impairment at the 0% VA rating for anxiety. 

10 Percent

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. 

Translation of 10% anxiety VA rating: You have very mild symptoms of anxiety. 

Maybe you take antidepressants, but these medications keep your symptoms in check most of the time. 

30 Percent

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). 

The 30% VA rating for anxiety accounts for fairly mild symptoms. 

You have some depression, anxiety, memory loss, and panic attacks, but not very often. 

You might be having some trouble sleeping along with mild memory loss. 

Typically, you’re having panic attacks LESS than once per week. 

Note that a panic attack and anxiety are NOT the same thing. 

Panic attacks come on suddenly and involve intense and often overwhelming fear that usually lasts 10 minutes or less. 

They’re often accompanied by frightening physical symptoms, such as a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dry mouth, and nausea. 

50 Percent

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. 

The 50% VA rating for anxiety has moderately severe symptoms. 

The biggest difference between the 30% and 50% anxiety VA rating is that at this level, you’re having a lot of trouble in your relationships. 

Perhaps you don’t have any friends or just want to be alone. 

Maybe you’re divorced or can’t get along with your spouse anymore. 

The other difference is you’re now having panic attacks MORE than once per week. 

70 Percent

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 work like setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. 

The 70% anxiety VA rating has very severe symptoms and is a big jump from the 50% level. 

Notice the keyword change to “Deficiencies in Most Areas.” 

Maybe you constantly check windows and doors in your home or have other obsessive rituals as you go about your day, such as a video camera monitoring system around your property. 

Your panic attacks, depression, and anxiety are now happening constantly. 

You think about suicide often, meaning you’re having thoughts or even making plans. 

You are unable to establish and maintain effective relationships at work and socially. 

100 Percent

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. 

Notice the change to “Total Occupational and Social Impairment.” 

This means you’re having major issues at work and at home. 

Perhaps you can’t work because your anxiety is so severe. 

A 100% anxiety VA rating is the first time we see delusional thoughts, hallucinations, and grossly inappropriate behavior. 

Severe memory loss and occasional inability to care for oneself are now present at the 100% level. 

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C&P Exam

The VA often requires a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam to evaluate anxiety and other mental health conditions. This is a key step in your claim, as the examiner’s findings heavily influence your final rating. Come prepared to explain — in clear, honest detail — how your symptoms affect your work, relationships, and daily life.

For a step-by-step prep guide, see our full article: How to Ace Your C&P Exam for Anxiety and Depression.

DBQ for Mental Health Conditions

If you attend a C&P exam, the examiner will complete a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) or an equivalent form. The DBQ collects the information the VA needs to decide your claim.

All mental health conditions, including anxiety, PTSD, depression, and adjustment disorder, use the same DBQ form. One key section asks the examiner to rate your overall level of occupational and social impairment. This scale is the same one the VA applies for all mental health claims.

Another important section lists your current symptoms. These details help the VA rater determine the severity of your condition — and ultimately your rating. In general, more severe symptoms lead to a higher VA rating for anxiety.

VA Secondary Conditions to Anxiety

Several conditions may arise due to your service-connected anxiety. Service connecting your anxiety may open the door for additional secondary service connection if your anxiety causes another VA-ratable condition. This can increase your combined VA rating and your monthly VA compensation.

See our full article: Top 10 VA Secondary Conditions to Anxiety & Depression

How Much is an Anxiety VA Rating Worth?

If you win your anxiety VA disability claim, how much you’ll receive in monthly compensation depends on your VA rating percentage and your family factors. You can estimate your monthly compensation with our VA Calculator here.

For more details, see our full article: VA Compensation for PTSD, Depression and Anxiety

Conclusion

The VA rates anxiety from 0% to 100% based on how much your symptoms limit your work, relationships, and daily life. To qualify, you’ll need a formal diagnosis, proof it’s service-connected, and strong supporting evidence.

If anxiety is affecting your ability to live or work, don’t wait; file your claim and gather the evidence now. The sooner you act, the sooner you can access the VA compensation and benefits you’ve earned.

Deserve a Higher Rating? WE’VE GOT YOUR SIX!

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