Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, was rated at 70 percent prior to December 22, 2025, and at 50 percent thereafter. The rating is based on the severity of symptoms such as depressed mood, inability to establish effective relationships, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, chronic sleep impairment, anxiety, irritability, and other related issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current disability of urinary incontinence, PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder was not total occupational and social impairment, tension headaches did not meet a compensable rating prior to September 18, 2025, and tinnitus does not warrant a higher than 10 percent rating.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximate the criteria for this higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been granted effective from October 14, 2019. The initial disability ratings and effective dates are as follows: sinusitis - 50 percent; rhinitis (allergic) - noncompensable; headaches (sinus headaches) - 50 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, other than unspecified depressive disorder, to include sleep disturbances and erectile dysfunction is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is due to his service-connected lower back disability, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition as secondary to his lower back disability.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, status post right eyebrow laceration scar, headaches, and left ankle deltoid ligament sprain. The Veteran's mental health issues were not found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD with persistent depressive disorder was rated at 100% effective October 10, 2018. The Board found that the increase in disability occurred within one year prior to this date and granted an earlier effective date of September 21, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, finding that his current diagnosed unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder is related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for erectile dysfunction, cervical spine condition, OSA, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and depression disorder as they were previously denied by prior decisions that have not been vacated or remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse condition, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and severe depression.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as the evidence did not show that his claimed conditions began in service or were causally related to service. The Board also found that he was not unemployable due to these disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine alone renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, qualifying for TDIU. The Veteran also has a separate disability (depressive disorder) rated at 70 percent disabling, meeting the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was granted service connection, but the claims for bilateral pes planus, alcohol abuse, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and vision loss with bilateral myopia were dismissed due to untimeliness of appeals.

The Veteran's appeal for a temporary total evaluation due to hospital treatment in excess of 21 days for service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder beyond November 1, 2019, is denied. The appeal for discontinuance of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits from November 1, 2019, to June 9, 2023, is also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for depression disorder and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on the claims. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depressive disorder, is considered to have been aggravated by service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because he has not shown that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment during the appeal period.