Depression decisions — 2026

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, specifically anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, which is found to be due to military sexual trauma experienced during service. The decision also notes that the Veteran's reports of in-service personal assault are credible and supported by medical opinions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due to or has undergone any incremental increase in disability due to his service-connected mental health, back, and shoulder disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for unspecified depressive disorder is granted, and the effective date remains unchanged at October 25, 2022.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of service connection (January 23, 2020), due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for her service-connected MDD with PTSD was denied. The evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment, despite the Veteran maintaining full-time employment.

The Veteran's depression is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating based on his symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, kleptomania, and PTSD is being remanded due to the AOJ's failure to obtain medical records from his periods of incarceration or a medical opinion regarding his diagnoses.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. The Veteran's current disability is found to be at least as likely as not due to the in-service event of his father's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal, but his claim for service connection of OSA remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and has remanded the issue of service connection for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with major depression disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the appeal for a higher rating or TDIU has been denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, is denied. Service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, diagnosed as major depressive disorder, is now rated at 50 percent effective September 12, 2022. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD and MDD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% rating.,VA needs to provide an updated VA examination for the Veteran's herpes simplex virus II with recurrent genital ulcers due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, based on a personal assault during his military service. The evidence supports that the Veteran experienced a traumatic event which led to his current mental health conditions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, Depression, Alcohol Use Disorder (Substance Abuse), Respiratory Disorder, Hypertension, Low Back Pain, Neck Disability, Migraine Headaches, and Right Arm Residuals are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.,Specifically, the VA needs to verify the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, obtain VA medical opinions regarding his mental health conditions, respiratory disorder, hypertension, low back and neck pain, and migraine headaches, and provide a VA examination for his right arm residuals.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not attributable to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.