Generalized Anxiety Disorder VA disability rating & claim guide

Yes. The VA rates Generalized Anxiety Disorder under VASRD diagnostic code 9400 (Mental Disorders). GAD is a mental health condition marked by persistent, excessive worry about daily activities.

Possible VA ratings for Generalized Anxiety Disorder are 100%, 70%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 100%: 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; 70%: 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; 50%: 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.

Not for the same symptoms. Diagnostic codes 9201 through 9440, Generalized Anxiety Disorder among them, are all rated on one General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, which grades how much symptoms impair work and social life. 38 CFR 4.126(a) says the rating rests on "all the evidence of record that bears on occupational and social impairment." 38 CFR 4.14 says: "The evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided." So the same symptoms should not be rated twice, once under each diagnosis. These rules do not say when, if ever, a second mental disorder rating is given.

Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Generalized Anxiety Disorder at around 50%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 558,000 veterans are service-connected for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Estimated approval outlook: High – common and well-supported with consistent symptoms.

Strong evidence for a Generalized Anxiety Disorder claim includes: DSM-5 diagnosis from VA or private psychiatrist; VA C&P exam with documentation of impairment; Personal statement outlining impact on life; Therapy or medication records.

VA's Mental Disorders Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."

Common pitfalls when filing for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Lack of formal diagnosis; No documentation of daily impairment; Claiming without tying to in-service cause.

Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, when a medical opinion links them, include: Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Sleep Apnea. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.