The Veteran's service-connected Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective July 22, 2015. The Board found the Veteran’s symptoms warranted this rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in judgment, thinking, work, mood.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's MDD was manifested by near constant suicidal ideation and other symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing/maintaining effective work/social relationships, impaired impulse control, and stealing behaviors. These symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in judgment, thinking, work, and mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183298
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for a more comprehensive medical examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder prior to September 10, 2022, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and major depressive disorder, an earlier effective date for TDIU due to service-connected conditions, and a compensable rating for hypertension. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease were remanded.
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