Depression decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, effective August 28, 2018, due to clear and unmistakable error in the October 2018 rating decision. Service connection was also granted for major depressive disorder (MDD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis and lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration, cervical degenerative arthritis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint degeneration, right hip strain, anxiety as secondary to the Veteran's back condition, and depression as secondary to the Veteran's back condition. The claims for service connection for a left knee condition and a right knee condition were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for anxiety disorder and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran was granted separate ratings of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance, a higher rating under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o), and a higher rating under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1).

The Veteran withdrew all pending claims and appeals, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.

The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance that it is related to an in-service event.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as additional development is necessary prior to final adjudication.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 50 percent for unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder; in excess of 10 percent for residuals of prostate cancer; and a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction.

The Board dismissed the appeals of proposed reductions in disability ratings for unspecified anxiety disorder with sleep symptoms and features of depression from 70% to 50%, as these were not final, appealable decisions.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a VA examination and etiological opinion.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, left and right hip pain, right knee degenerative arthritis, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with depression, insomnia, and anxiety as secondary to service-connected tinnitus but denied an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and an increased rating for tinnitus. The remaining claims were remanded.

The Board granted a 70 percent initial rating for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with major depressive disorder (MDD), finding that the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms produce occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board granted service connection for anxiety and depression, finding a link to the Veteran's active service. The claim for ADHD was remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for MDD but granted a TDIU from January 1, 2011 and denied SMC based on housebound status.

The Board remands the claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings to cure a pre-decisional duty to assist error related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.

The Board remands the claims for service connection, to include on a secondary basis, for PTSD, depression, headache disability, and bilateral foot disabilities due to further development of the Veteran's reported in-service stressor events and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, as the probative evidence did not show that these conditions had their onset in or were otherwise due to service.