The veteran's mood disorder is manifested by a flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood, unpredictable and disinhibited anger and rage, anhedonia, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score of 50 indicating serious social and occupational impairment. The Board finds that the veteran's mood disorder most nearly approximates the criteria for a 50 percent rating under Code 9435.
The deciding factor: The February 2003 VA examiner noted the veteran's affect was 'noticeably' flattened and he displayed significant lack of concern or social awareness for the family, which is indicative of symptoms that most closely align with the criteria for a 50 percent rating under Code 9435.
- Claimed conditions
- Mood Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0401469
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 0401469.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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