PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST) — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960P-3 (Review Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
What the examiner measures
- Level of occupational & social impairment — the single line that sets the % (0/10/30/50/70/100)
- DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD (Criteria A–H), including the verified in-service stressor
- Which formula symptoms are present: depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic sleep impairment, memory loss, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation/mood
- Higher-level symptoms that drive 70–100%: suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, near-continuous panic/depression, impaired impulse control, neglect of hygiene
- Ability to establish and maintain effective work and social relationships
- Capacity for independent living and, if raised, total occupational & social impairment (100%)
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST) — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST), based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.130, General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders (DC 9411, posttraumatic stress disorder). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
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.
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.
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, and mild memory loss.
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 understanding complex commands; impairment of short and long-term memory; impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; and difficulty establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.
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; impaired impulse control; spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances; and inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
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; and memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST) raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST) claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 2018 · PMID 30415636
Finding: Meta-analysis of 69 studies found 15.7% of military personnel and veterans report MST when measured as harassment plus assault (3.9% of men, 38.4% of women); for assault alone the rate was 13.9% (1.9% of men, 23.6% of women). Women had significantly higher prevalence than men across all categories.
Why it helps: Provides the strongest pooled evidence that MST is a pervasive in-service stressor affecting both men and women, supporting an association between military service and exposure to the sexual trauma underlying an MST-based PTSD claim.
Military Medicine, 2007 · PMID 17691684
Finding: In a survey of 815 active-duty service members, 45% of men and 80% of women reported at least one military sexual stressor; those reporting more stressor types had significantly more severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms plus poorer physical, work, and social functioning (all p<=0.004), with no significant gender interaction.
Why it helps: Supports a dose-response association between in-service sexual stressors and PTSD and related psychiatric symptoms in both men and women, reinforcing the link between MST exposure and the claimed mental-health condition.
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2011 · PMID 21534094
Finding: Review of 29 DoD, service-academy, and VA studies found MST is reported by about 1.1% of male service members over a military career (range 0.03% to 12.4%), documenting that MST is experienced by men, not only women.
Why it helps: Supports that male veterans also experience MST during service, helping rebut the assumption that an MST stressor is implausible for a male claimant.
Journal of Affective Disorders, 2019 · nexus to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts · PMID 30991258
Finding: Among 108 veterans with a history of MST, 75% reported post-MST suicidal ideation and 40.7% reported a post-MST suicide attempt; negative posttraumatic cognitions about self were associated with suicidal ideation even after accounting for PTSD and depressive symptoms.
Why it helps: Supports an association between MST and elevated suicidal ideation and attempts, relevant to claims of suicidality and related mental-health sequelae secondary to MST-based PTSD.
Sexual Medicine Reviews, 2019 · nexus to sexual dysfunction · PMID 31029620
Finding: Systematic review of 6 generally low-risk-of-bias studies found MST is associated with sexual dysfunction and low sexual satisfaction among women veterans, with other mental-health conditions commonly comorbid.
Why it helps: Supports an association between MST and female sexual dysfunction, relevant to a sexual-dysfunction condition claimed as secondary to MST or MST-related PTSD and medications.
American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2020 · nexus to chronic pain · PMID 32427603
Finding: Among 328 veterans seeking chronic-pain care, MST was reported by 31.4% and uniquely predicted greater pain interference; younger veterans with MST reported the highest pain interference.
Why it helps: Supports an association between MST and greater chronic-pain burden, relevant to chronic pain or related physical conditions claimed as secondary to MST.
- Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the United States: a systematic literature reviewDirect
Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2021 · PMID 34498953
Finding: Systematic review of 38 studies found PTSD prevalence elevated in specific subpopulations, explicitly identifying women with prior military sexual trauma as a higher-prevalence group, with female sex and behavioral-health conditions as PTSD risk factors.
Why it helps: Supports recognition of MST as a documented risk factor for elevated PTSD prevalence, corroborating the direct link between MST exposure and a PTSD diagnosis.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST). A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Major Depressive Disorder
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Insomnia / Chronic Sleep Disturbance
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
GERD
Nexus strength: strong
IBS
Nexus strength: strong
Erectile Dysfunction
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Migraines
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
Substance Use Disorder
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Eating Disorders
Nexus strength: moderate
Hypertension
Nexus strength: moderate
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
PTSD - Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claim Guide by State
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.