---
title: "DC 9208 - Delusional disorder"
diagnostic_code: "9208"
body_system: "Mental Disorders"
cfr_section: "§ 4.130"
canonical: "https://veteranai.co/va-rating-schedule/mental-health/9208-delusional-disorder"
source: "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.130"
updated: "2026-07-21T05:37:13.385794Z"
---

# DC 9208 - Delusional disorder

Rated under § 4.130. Body system: Mental Disorders.

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders

## Rating criteria

| Rating | Criteria |
| --- | --- |
| 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. |
| 30% | 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). |
| 10% | 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. |
| 0% | 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. |

# Delusional Disorder (VA Diagnostic Code 9208)

Delusional disorder is a mental health condition rated by the VA under **§ 4.130**, within the **Mental Disorders** body system. It is evaluated using the **General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders**, which the VA applies across many mental health conditions.

## Understanding How This Condition Is Rated

Rather than counting individual symptoms, the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders focuses on **how much your symptoms affect your occupational and social functioning**. The VA looks at the overall picture — how the condition impacts your ability to work, maintain relationships, care for yourself, and function day to day — and assigns a rating level that best matches that impact.

The available rating levels are **0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%**. Each level reflects an increasing degree of occupational and social impairment.

## The Rating Levels

### 0% Rating
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.

### 10% Rating
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.

### 30% Rating
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). Associated symptoms may include depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, or recent events).

### 50% Rating
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. Associated symptoms may include 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 (such as retaining only highly learned material or forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; and difficulty establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

### 70% Rating
Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. Associated symptoms may include suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals that interfere with routine activities; speech that is 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 adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a work-like setting); and inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.

### 100% Rating
Total occupational and social impairment. Associated symptoms may include gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting oneself 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, one's own occupation, or one's own name.

## What the VA Looks For

When evaluating delusional disorder, the VA assesses the **overall level of occupational and social impairment** caused by your symptoms. The symptoms listed at each level are examples that illustrate the degree of impairment — the goal is to identify the rating that most accurately reflects how the condition affects your ability to work, engage socially, and manage daily life.

Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.130