The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected mood disorder, finding that it resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks due to symptoms including depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss.
The deciding factor: The veteran's depression was found to be productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, as evidenced by his self-reported difficulties concentrating and focusing on activities.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 22, 2006
- Citation
- 0604955
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder, mood disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a mood disorder as secondary to the service-connected headaches or tinnitus, finding no probative evidence linking the two conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher disability rating for stress-related headaches, as well as remanded the claim for a higher disability rating for a mood disorder due to a scheduling issue.
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