The Veteran's claim for service connection for persistent depressive disorder was previously denied in May 2003 and February 2014. The effective date of December 15, 2016, is the earliest possible effective date as it corresponds to when the Veteran submitted a new claim after receiving notice of the final denial.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a timely appeal within one year of the February 2014 rating decision and thus the previous denials became final. The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim was received on December 15, 2016, which is the earliest possible effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23020906
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 23020906.
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 service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder with persistent depressive disorder, anxious distress, and pure dysthymic syndrome was granted. The appeal for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the issue has been rendered irrelevant by the grant of service connection in another appeal stream.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's persistent depressive disorder, moderate with anxious distress and panic attacks is related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, but his service-connected persistent depressive disorder alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. The Veteran's current disability is found to be at least as likely as not due to the in-service event of his father's death.
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