The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with anxious distress prior to March 5, 2016 was denied. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress prior to October 7, 2014 was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as her disability caused occupational and social impairment but did not result in total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18159119
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 18159119.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for depressive disorder with anxious distress is dismissed due to procedural error. The claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral knee disabilities, and GERD are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for PTSD from 70% to 50%, effective December 1, 2019, finding that any improvement in his condition did not reflect an actual improvement in his ability to function.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress, attributing the weight gain and resultant OSA to his mental health condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was granted effective August 10, 2022. This decision also grants the Veteran an initial rating of 100% for MS.,Effective August 10, 2022, the Veteran is now entitled to DEA benefits based on his service-connected MS.
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