Depression decisions — 2025

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, as well as an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, depression, and mood disorder, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The Board also denied service connection for bilateral lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but remanded the claims for left ankle strain with pain and total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including missing service treatment records and failure to notify the Veteran of scheduled VA examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative changes and major depressive disorder with anxiety, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for persistent depressive disorder, and service connection for lumbosacral strain (back condition) and cervical strain (neck condition), to obtain additional evidence.

The Board granted the reopening of a claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, to include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include depression and anxiety. The right knee disability rating and TDIU claims were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder, substance-induced depressive disorder, and substance-induced anxiety disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder disability, to include depression, as the evidence of record does not support a finding that her current condition began during active service or is related to any in-service injury.

The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for the Veteran's psychiatric disability, finding that the symptoms reported in the April 2023 VA examination report have been present throughout the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus was granted, while the claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied. Several other claims were remanded.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for the veteran's unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, while denying earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board granted restoration of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 compensation benefits for major depressive disorder due to the denial of due process in the previous decision.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a neck disability, and a right calf disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder recurrent with psychotic features and remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability, entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right foot strain, and entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle strain with Achilles tendonitis.

The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to address the Veteran's lay statement regarding his persistent depressive disorder and determine its etiology.

The Board granted a disability evaluation of 70 percent for the Veteran's major depressive disorder, as the evidence showed symptoms including difficulty in maintaining work and social relationships, anxiety, depression, and recurrent sleep disturbances.

The Board granted a rating of 100 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), as the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms most closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder from November 9, 2023, but remanded the issues of a higher rating for post-concussive headaches and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate, with anxious distress and remanded the claim for cervical spine condition.