The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for dysthymic disorder was denied as the earliest date of claim subsequent to the May 1979 final rating decision denying entitlement to service connection for depressive neurosis is October 27, 1989.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for dysthymic disorder prior to October 27, 1989 was denied as there is no legal basis for an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: Both claims were denied due to the lack of evidence supporting an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- dysthymic disorder, asthma with COPD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1530392
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 1530392.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for chronic sinusitis, asthma with COPD, IBS, spastic colitis with diverticulitis and bowel functional impairment with chronic constipation, and status post umbilical hernia repair was granted effective from April 4, 2012, for chronic sinusitis and May 29, 2012, for the other conditions. The AOJ also remanded several issues related to these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's dysthymic disorder disability was productive of total social and occupational impairment throughout the claim period, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for fibromyalgia and psychiatric disabilities, as well as his entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.
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