The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for major depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied. The Board found that her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied, as she did not demonstrate total social or occupational impairment due to her service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s major depressive disorder with anxious distress has been assigned a 60 percent rating throughout the entire claim period. The Board found that her symptoms have not caused the level of impairment required for a disability rating of 100 percent at any time during the claim period, and more closely approximated the criteria for a 70 percent rating.,The Veteran did not demonstrate total social or occupational impairment due to her service-connected condition. The Board found that she maintained some effective social relationships and had sufficient additional service-connected disability to bring her combined rating to 70 percent or more.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- May 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20031793
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 20031793.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, particularly PTSD. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions and related stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error where VA was aware of relevant private treatment records but did not notify the appellant or request a release for these records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress was granted effective October 29, 2019. He is currently receiving a 70% disability rating.
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