The veteran's claim for an increased rating for a depressive disorder with tension headaches and PTSD is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination report, which did not provide sufficient explanation of the significance of the GAF score. The case will be returned to the RO for further development including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 1998 VA examination report was inadequate in explaining the significance of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score, which is critical evidence regarding the extent of psychiatric impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0021466
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0021466.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder with social anxiety disorder and PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for depressive disorder and remanded the claims for a higher rating for headache syndrome and TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for PTSD to be readjudicated on the merits due to new and relevant evidence.
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