Depression decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as sleep disturbances, anxiety, PTSD, and major depression, to obtain a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for multiple acquired psychiatric and physical disabilities, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded a claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for his psychiatric disorder due to his failure to report for a VA examination without good cause.

The Board granted earlier effective dates and initial ratings for muscle tension headaches, sleep apnea, and unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, but denied a higher rating for sleep apnea and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress. The Board also granted an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and denied a higher rating.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of January 24, 2012, for the grant of service connection for PTSD and a higher initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's mental health disability (to include depressive disorder and PTSD), but denied other claims including TDIU, SMC, and higher ratings for migraine headaches and sleep apnea.

The Board granted a 60 percent rating for the Veteran's prostate disability, denied a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol abuse and depressive disorder, granted service connection for pancreatitis secondary to PTSD, and granted TDIU and special monthly compensation based on need of regular aid and attendance.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that major depressive disorder and PTSD were related to his military service and contributed to his accidental overdose.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected major depressive disorder.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for an unspecified depressive disorder, but remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, ADHD, OCD, intellectual disability, and narcissistic personality disorder, as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and higher initial ratings for psychiatric, OSA, and headache disabilities.

The Board granted an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and insomnia, finding that his condition resulted in total occupational and social impairment.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, finding that the Veteran's mental health disorder began in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date than June 21, 2023, for the assignment of a 70 percent evaluation for traumatic brain injury with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and unspecified depressive disorder.

The appeal for service connection for depression, insomnia, sleep apnea, and tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran's authorized representative.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating or establish service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and insomnia to obtain a new medical opinion on whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a right shoulder disability to allow the AOJ to adjudicate them in the first instance based on all evidence of record.