Depression decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder but denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. The rating for the veteran's migraine headaches was affirmed at 50 percent.

The Board remands the claims for an increased disability rating and TDIU due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to obtain relevant medical records.

The Board denied service connection for depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, and a ventral hernia, and dismissed the appeal for PTSD as untimely.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for major depressive disorder and remanded the issue of a higher rating.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, with MDD, recurrent episodes, and insomnia disorder as the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of February 1, 2021, for the awards of service connection and secondary service connection for various disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and tinnitus.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 5, 2023, for service connection for other specified anxiety disorder with other specified depressive disorder and denied a higher initial rating. The appeal to establish an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance was dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, as the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD or establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and the Veteran's active service.

The Board dismissed the claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe without psychotic features as a freestanding claim.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for left upper extremity tremor, muscle rigidity, stiffness, balance impairment, and bradykinesia and major neurocognitive disorder with depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for Parkinson's disease with urinary incontinence.

The Board denied a rating greater than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus and a compensable rating for hypertension, but remanded the issues of a rating greater than 50 percent for anxiety disorder and entitlement to individual unemployability.

The Board granted readjudication of the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety and depression, due to new evidence. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as service treatment records from the Veteran's period of reserve service have not been obtained.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation from May 5, 2019.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to initial ratings in excess of 50 percent for persistent depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, severe with panic disorder, as a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of the disability.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, right ankle condition, right thumb condition, bilateral elbow condition, and psychiatric disorder (cannabis use disorder, depression, anxiety) as the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service injury or disease and a nexus to the Veteran's active service.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and increased the initial rating of migraine headaches to 50 percent, while remanding a claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran withdrew her appeals for service connection and a higher rating, resulting in the dismissal of all claims.

The Board granted a 70 percent initial evaluation for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that the Veteran's symptoms and resulting impairment more closely approximate the criteria for this rating.