The Board has determined that the Veteran's other specified depressive disorder is manifested by symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, and disturbances of motivation and mood. The disability results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity but less than deficiencies in most areas. Therefore, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's other specified depressive disorder is denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the objective medical evidence and lay statements regarding the Veteran’s symptomatology more nearly approximate symptoms associated with a 50 percent disability rating for the entire period on appeal. The degree of disability was consistent with a 50 percent evaluation, which reflects occupational and social impairment in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Other specified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20001485
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20001485.
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 other specified depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, for the entire appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination and insufficient evidence to verify the Veteran's reported stressors. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, other specified trauma related disorder, and other specified depressive disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's other specified depressive disorder is granted an initial 70 percent disability rating, effective July 26, 2022.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for other specified depressive disorder.
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