Depression decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claims for a 100% rating for major depressive disorder and a 50% rating for migraines, along with SMC based on aid and attendance, have been granted effective June 10, 2024. The earlier effective dates of September 28, 2021 for the major depressive disorder and January 17, 2022 for the migraines are also confirmed.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to duty to assist errors and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating of 70 percent for service-connected depressive disorder has been granted, with the effective date being April 12, 2022.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination and an incomplete opinion regarding the nature and cause of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran is requested to undergo a VA examination to determine if his current psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis and major depressive disorder with anxious distress are rated at 10% and 70%, respectively. The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and TDIU, as well as service connection for hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, migraine including migraine variants, obstructive sleep apnea, and right leg varicose veins. The diagnoses are related to the Veteran's in-service experiences and/or his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for service connection of major depressive disorder was granted. The effective date is set at February 25, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions did not have their onset in service or be related to his service-connected right knee disabilities. The secondary service connection claim was also denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, anxiety, and depression, is granted as service connected. The claims for left knee condition, right knee condition, and lower back problems are dismissed due to the Veteran's voluntary withdrawal of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring a new VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including mental health disorders and physical conditions like ankle strains and allergic rhinitis, do not result in functional impairment that precludes him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for immunosuppressed and weakened immune system deficiency, bilateral hearing loss disability, and an acquired psychological disorder including PTSD, depression, and anxiety are being remanded due to a duty to assist error.,Service connection is not granted for the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for her service-connected psychiatric disorder (other specified trauma disorder) is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher than 30 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including major depression, anxious distress, psychotic features, and PTSD, is granted service connection. Service connection for borderline personality disorder is denied.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because the increase in disability occurred more than one year before the claim was filed, and the earliest possible effective date is August 19, 2022.

The Veteran's TDIU is based solely on her service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder. The Board denied SMC at the housebound rate as she does not have additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or higher.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the proposed reduction in disability rating for major depression with generalized anxiety and insomnia disorder from 70 percent to 50 percent because it was not a final decision.

The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed the claim of allergic rhinitis. The Board has remanded the issue of major depressive disorder, with anxious distress.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder, recurrent, in partial remission is granted as service connection due to its onset during active military service.