Depression decisions — 2025

The Board dismissed the appeal due to an impermissible concurrent election of review lanes.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, low back disability, right shoulder disability, and bilateral plantar fasciitis and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran was also granted an initial 70 percent rating for his major depressive disorder.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity effective February 18, 2021, and granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual employability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms was granted a 100 percent disability rating for the period prior to August 29, 2022. The claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was dismissed as moot.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and psychiatric disability, to include unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board granted service connection for other specified depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and increased the ratings for thoracic spine degenerative changes, right knee degenerative disease, left knee degenerative disease, and right shoulder degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran was granted total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) but denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for persistent depressive disorder and an earlier effective date prior to July 16, 2019.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional service-connected conditions.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder is granted an initial rating of 70 percent, but no more.

The Board granted an earlier effective date for service connection, denied a higher rating, and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied various claims for increased ratings and effective dates, including those for tinnitus, wrist scars, lower extremity radiculopathy, bulimia nervosa, psychiatric disability, benign neutropenia, herpes II, GERD, plantar fasciitis, and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic fatigue syndrome was granted a 100% rating beginning September 11, 2019; gastroesophageal reflux disease with irritable bowel syndrome and psychiatric disability were granted ratings of 30% and 70%, respectively; chronic headaches were granted a 50% rating. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability was also granted.

The Board granted an effective date of May 15, 2023, for the award of a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD and major depressive disorder.

The Board granted initial disability ratings of 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 20 percent each for left and right lower extremity neuropathy/radiculopathy. The lumbar spine disability was denied a higher rating, and the effective dates for service connection were adjusted.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, to include major depressive disorder and PTSD, due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression and anxiety.

The Veteran's TDIU is based solely on service-connected PTSD with persistent depressive disorder, effective October 26, 2020, and SMC at the housebound level is granted for the same date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include major depressive disorder and insomnia, for a new VA mental disorders examination due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.