Depression decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for anxiety and depressive disorder disabilities but denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder disability.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, finding it was at least as likely as not incurred in service. The other claims were remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied an effective date prior to December 12, 2023 for the grant of service connection for recurrent major depressive disorder and denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for recurrent major depressive disorder.

The Board denied an increased rating greater than 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and MDD with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder.

The appeal seeking an earlier effective date for the 70 percent rating for MDD and a compensable rating for hypertension was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election.

The Board remands the case to schedule an in-person examination with a psychiatric examiner to determine if any identified psychiatric disorders are related to military service.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress with psychotic features, secondary to traumatic spondylosis status post L1-S1 laminectomies/fusion and denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent for the same condition. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea was remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and basic eligibility to DEA, as no new evidence was found that would have changed the outcome of the prior denials.

The Board denied service connection for scars of the bilateral hands and arms, denied higher ratings for knee strain, dyspnea, erectile dysfunction, and tinnitus, and remanded several other issues including service connection for headaches disability.

The Board remands the matter for a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, as there are indications that it may have preexisted or been aggravated by service.

The Board denied the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and service connection for major depressive disorder, as the additional disability was not caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of skill, or an unforeseeable event.

The appeal for an increased evaluation for depressive disorder was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his request.

The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD and granted service connection for tinnitus, while denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, pain dysfunction in the right shoulder, and hypertension.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection claims and higher initial rating claim, resulting in their dismissal.

The appeal for an earlier effective date than January 25, 2013 for the award of a 100 percent disability rating for depressive disorder was denied.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, but denied service connection for headaches.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder with major depression, pituitary microadenoma benign neoplasm with migraine headaches, and asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with assigned ratings of 70%, 50%, and 30% respectively. The claims for other conditions were remanded.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of a psychiatric disability, including depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder, as the current VA examiner's opinion is found to be inadequate.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings, as well as remanded one issue.