---
title: "DC 9435 - Unspecified depressive disorder"
diagnostic_code: "9435"
body_system: "Mental Disorders"
cfr_section: "§ 4.130"
canonical: "https://veteranai.co/va-rating-schedule/mental-health/9435-unspecified-depressive-disorder"
source: "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.130"
updated: "2026-07-21T05:51:11.144300Z"
---

# DC 9435 - Unspecified depressive 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. |

# Unspecified Depressive Disorder (VA Diagnostic Code 9435)

**Understanding how the VA rates unspecified depressive disorder under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders.**

---

## What This Condition Is

Unspecified depressive disorder is a mental health condition rated by the VA under **Diagnostic Code 9435**, within the **Mental Disorders** body system (**38 CFR § 4.130**).

Like other mental health conditions in this section, it is evaluated using the **General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders**. Rather than focusing on a single symptom, this formula looks at how the condition affects your ability to function at work and in your social and family life, based on the type, frequency, and severity of symptoms you experience.

---

## Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of six rating levels based on the overall degree of occupational and social impairment.

### 100% — Total Impairment
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% — Deficiencies in Most Areas
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% — Reduced Reliability and Productivity
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% — Occasional Decrease in Work Efficiency
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% — Mild or Transient Symptoms
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% — Diagnosed, Non-Compensable
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.

---

## What the VA Looks For

When rating unspecified depressive disorder, the VA considers:

- **A formal diagnosis** of the mental health condition.
- **The degree of occupational and social impairment** — how the condition affects work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.
- **The specific symptoms present**, along with their **frequency and severity** — for example, sleep problems, panic attacks, memory difficulties, mood disturbances, or impacts on personal care.
- **Whether symptoms are controlled by continuous medication.**

The higher rating levels reflect greater impairment across more areas of daily life. The symptoms listed at each level are examples of the kinds of symptoms the VA may consider when determining the overall level of impairment.

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