The Board found that the appellant's psychiatric impairment, characterized by symptoms involving sleep impairment, panic attacks more than once a week, disturbances of mood and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, but without evidence of obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities, intermittent illogical, obscure or irrelevant speech, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene or difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting), approximates the criteria for a 50 percent disability rating. The appeal was denied as the appellant's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The appellant's psychiatric impairment, characterized by symptoms involving sleep impairment, panic attacks more than once a week, disturbances of mood and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, but without evidence of obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities, intermittent illogical, obscure or irrelevant speech, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene or difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting), approximates the criteria for a 50 percent disability rating. The appellant's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- depression with dysthymia, panic disorder with agoraphobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2003
- Citation
- 0304287
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 127 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0304287.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
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- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for major depressive disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobia, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for panic disorder with agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's mental disorder began during his active service and is caused by in-service events.
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