The Veteran's mood disorder was initially rated at 30 percent prior to January 2022 and increased to 70 percent thereafter, with the Board finding that a higher rating is warranted based on his symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Veteran experienced significant impairment in social and occupational functioning, including suicidal ideation and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, which supported the assigned ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Mood Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 2, 2024
- Citation
- 24000096
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 24000096.
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 Board has granted service connection for PTSD and mood disorders, effective from February 7, 2012. The Veteran's claim was ongoing until the RO granted service connection for PTSD in July 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received in relation to the claim on appeal, warranting readjudication of the issue. The Veteran's ED is claimed as secondary to his service-connected mood disorder including side effects of medications taken for his mood disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence to readjudicate the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression/major depressive disorder, mood disorder, anxiety/generalized anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed moods. The case is remanded for further consideration.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology that more nearly approximated total occupational and social impairment for the period from June 28, 2008, to July 10, 2016. For the period from July 11, 2016, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology resulting in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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