How Does the VA Rate Disabilities Caused by Military Sexual Trauma?

VA has no disability rating for military sexual trauma itself. It rates conditions caused or made worse by MST, which might be PTSD, depression, chronic pain, or a physical injury that never fully healed. Knowing this difference changes how you build your claim and often the rating you end up with.

Mental Health Conditions Are Rated Under One Formula

PTSD, depression, anxiety and most other mental health conditions are covered by the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR § 4.130. Possible ratings are 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%. Your diagnosis does not determine the number. It is important to consider how much your symptoms affect your work and relationships.

Raters carefully consider:

• How often you experience panic attacks, flashbacks, or depressive episodes.
• Whether you are able to maintain employment (or continue attending work).
• Trust issues, feelings of isolation, and difficulties in family relationships.
• Memory, concentration, and sleeping patterns.
• Suicidal thoughts or lack of self-care, which could lead to higher ratings.

Have more than one mental health diagnosis? The VA generally assigns a single rating based on your overall symptoms, not separate ratings for each label.

PTSD Claims Follow a More Flexible Evidence Rule

Most survivors never filed a report. 38 CFR § 3.304(f)(5) takes into account that in PTSD claims based on personal assault. The VA can accept evidence from outside your service records, as well as “markers” showing that your behavior has changed after the assault.

The VA’s MST Disability Compensation page provides examples, including:

• Statements from chaplains, family members, roommates, or other service members
• Records from rape crisis centers or civilian police
• Personal diaries or journals
• Requests to transfer to another duty assignment
• Changes in work performance, substance use issues, or clinic visits without a specific diagnosis
• Pregnancy or STI tests

Other conditions face a tougher test. The National Academies report explains that non-PTSD claims currently require evidence from military or in-service medical records, such as a formal report.

What 2026 Changed, and What It Didn’t

That same congressionally mandated report urged VA to adopt a single evidentiary standard for all MST-related claims. It also called for mandatory training of examiners and a more trauma-informed examination process, and found that MST claims were more likely to be denied than claims related to combat.

Those are recommendations. They do not change the rules that VA applies to your claim today.

The same is true of the VA’s proposed overhaul of mental health ratings. First published in 2022, it would rate five areas of functioning and set a 10% minimum for any service-connected mental disorder. As of fall 2026, the VA has not issued a final rule, so the current formula still determines every claim. If the change does occur, federal law prohibits the VA from reducing an existing rating solely based on a schedule revision.

Steps That Can Protect Your Rating

• Contact an MST (Military Service-Connected) outreach coordinator. Each VA (Veterans Administration) regional office has a male and female coordinator available.
• Request a male or female examiner for your C&P (Compensation and Pension) exam if that would make the process easier for you.
• When describing your condition, focus on your worst days instead of your best. Examiners base their decision on what they hear from you.
• If your VA (Veterans Affairs) has denied your MST claim in the past, you can request a decision review. The VA has stated that it has changed its process for these claims and has improved training for those who decide them.

Additionally, the VA offers free treatment for conditions related to MST. You do not need a rating or documentation to receive this care.

Talk to an Attorney About Your MST Claim

Filing an MST claim means telling the most difficult part of your story to strangers. You should not also have to fight against a rating that understates what you experience everyday. Veterans Benefits Law Group, PLLC, helps survivors collect evidence, prepare for exams, and challenge low ratings and denials.

Reach out to Veterans Benefits Law Group today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll review your file and walk you through your options.