The Board has granted an initial rating of 70 percent for service-connected dysthymia, effective August 22, 2013. The Veteran's symptoms include suicidal ideations, depression, anxiety, and irritability without physical aggression.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s psychological symptoms result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21000717
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 21000717.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and bilateral hearing loss as the evidence of record did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), pain left great toe, and sleep apnea but denied increased ratings for the veteran's shoulder strain, thumb strain, wrist ganglion cyst, wrist scar, and painful scar.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and unspecified anxiety disorder; gouty ankle and knees; and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) based on a private medical opinion and the Veteran's reported experiences during service.
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