PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat — 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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat
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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat, 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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat
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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat 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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat 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.
N Engl J Med, 2004 · PMID 15229303
Finding: In a study of US Army and Marine combat infantry, PTSD/depression/anxiety screen-positive rates were significantly higher after combat duty (15.6-17.1% after Iraq, where combat exposure was greatest) than after Afghanistan (11.2%) or before deployment (9.3%), with the largest difference in PTSD. Greater combat exposure tracked with higher PTSD rates.
Why it helps: This landmark study supports an association between combat exposure and PTSD by showing PTSD rates rise with the intensity of combat duty, useful context for a combat-related service-connection claim.
- A meta-analysis of risk factors for combat-related PTSD among military personnel and veterans.Direct
PLoS One, 2015 · PMID 25793582
Finding: Pooling 32 observational studies, the prevalence of combat-related PTSD ranged from 1.09% to 34.84%, and increased combat exposure, discharging a weapon, witnessing someone wounded or killed, and severe trauma were among 18 significant predictors of PTSD.
Why it helps: A meta-analysis supporting an association between greater combat exposure and PTSD across many military samples, helpful background for a combat-PTSD claim.
Psychol Health Med, 2023 · PMID 34579600
Finding: A systematic review and meta-analysis found a cumulative incidence of PTSD of 27.8% among veterans, combatants, and freed soldiers, with the authors attributing the elevated rate (vs. civilian samples) to longer exposure duration, multiple traumas, and higher combat exposure.
Why it helps: Supports an association between combat exposure and substantially elevated PTSD prevalence in combatants compared with civilians.
Depress Anxiety, 2017 · PMID 28489300
Finding: In a nationally representative longitudinal sample of Vietnam theater veterans (N=699), greater combat exposure predicted warzone-related PTSD symptom exacerbation up to 40 years after deployment, alongside factors such as lower education and lower social support.
Why it helps: Supports an association between combat exposure and persistent, even worsening, PTSD symptoms decades later, relevant to chronic combat-related PTSD claims.
Psychol Trauma, 2017 · PMID 27929311
Finding: Among 206 OEF/OIF National Guard and Reserve veterans, exposure to personal life threat predicted hyperarousal symptoms and exposure to death or severe injury of others predicted depressive symptoms, reinforcing that combat exposure is an established PTSD risk factor with symptom patterns varying by type of combat trauma.
Why it helps: Supports an association between specific combat experiences and PTSD-related symptom clusters in returning OEF/OIF veterans.
Mil Med, 2009 · PMID 19743729
Finding: Among 339 OEF/OIF veterans registering at a VA, 64% screened positive for PTSD, depression, or substance/alcohol abuse, and report of injury during combat was significantly associated with PTSD caseness in a hierarchical logistic regression model.
Why it helps: Supports an association between combat injury/exposure and PTSD among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans presenting for VA care.
Am J Psychiatry, 2006 · PMID 17012689
Finding: Among 613 US soldiers hospitalized for serious combat injury, probable PTSD rose from 4.2% at 1 month to 12.0% at 7 months, and high early physical-problem severity strongly predicted later PTSD (odds ratio 9.1), with most 7-month cases having screened negative at 1 month.
Why it helps: Supports an association between combat injury and delayed-onset PTSD, relevant to claims where symptoms emerge months after the combat event.
J Nerv Ment Dis, 2006 · PMID 16614549
Finding: Of 255 male Vietnam veterans given in-depth diagnostic interviews in the NVVRS, 88 had war-related onset of PTSD; the avoidance/numbing cluster was most strongly associated with chronic PTSD, independent of prewar demographics, comorbidity, and compensation-seeking.
Why it helps: Supports an association between war-related (combat) trauma and chronic PTSD symptom patterns in a national veteran sample.
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 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat. 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
Substance Use Disorder
Nexus strength: strong· Commonly granted
Sleep Apnea
Nexus strength: moderate
Erectile Dysfunction
Nexus strength: moderate· Commonly granted
GERD
Nexus strength: moderate
IBS
Nexus strength: moderate
Migraines
Nexus strength: moderate
Hypertension
Nexus strength: moderate
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Related Guides
- Claiming IBS as Secondary to PTSD: Complete VA Disability Guide
- Claiming Alcohol Dependency Secondary to PTSD: VA Disability Guide
- VA Disability Claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Secondary to PTSD
- VA Disability Claim for Chronic Headaches Secondary to PTSD: Complete Guide
- VA Disability Claim for Hypertension Secondary to PTSD: Complete Guide
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - Combat 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.
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