Depression decisions — 2025

The Veteran's effective date for service connection of depressive disorder was granted as October 11, 2022, but no earlier. The claims for earlier effective dates for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a psychiatric disability, associated with service-connected dyshidrotic eczema.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a mental health disorder, substance use/abuse disorder, prostate cancer, sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for other specified trauma or stressor related disorder prior to November 14, 2023, and a rating in excess of 50 percent since that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left wrist ganglion cyst with limitation of motion, as there was no evidence of favorable or unfavorable ankylosis.

The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran did not timely file a Board Appeal request with respect to the rating decision issued on January 26, 2022.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 60 percent for rheumatoid arthritis with mechanical arthritis, service connection for depression as secondary to the rheumatoid arthritis, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hypertension, heart disease, kidney condition, diabetes, left lower extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, depression, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, finding the evidence to be at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorder had its onset in service.

The Board granted service connection for other specified depressive disorder, with anxious distress as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected labral tear with rotator cuff tendonitis with degenerative arthritis shoulder, left.

The Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder was granted an initial rating of 50 percent, effective July 12, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the lack of a current diagnosis, and remanded other claims for further development.

The Board denied service connection for restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), allergic rhinitis, and a psychiatric disability, to include generalized anxiety disorder with depressive disorder. The Board granted an initial compensable rating for restrictive lung disease, fibrosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, including major depressive disorder and musculoskeletal issues, but granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for right hip limited extension.

The appeal of the proposed reduction of the evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability from 30 percent disabling to noncompensable is dismissed.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent evaluation for major depressive disorder, PTSD, and panic disorder without agoraphobia has been withdrawn by the Veteran's attorney.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but remanded the issue of service connection for foot pain.

The Board granted an increased initial disability rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's moderate, recurrent, major depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD and MDD, as well as a total disability rating due to individual unemployability based solely on these conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee strain with instability, and right knee strain to obtain additional evidence and a VA examination.