The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder, as the evidence demonstrated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximate the criteria for a 70 percent rating, including depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25021916
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 948 · Granted: 52% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 A25021916.
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 Veteran's claim for a higher rating was granted with an effective date of February 2, 2025. The Board found that the duty to assist error prevented a new VA examination until February 2026, and thus the appropriate effective date is the date of the supplemental claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder with panic attacks is denied. The tremors of the upper extremities are remanded, as is the claim for a prior effective date for TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder, as the claim was not properly filed within one year of separation from service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder from November 9, 2023, but remanded the issues of a higher rating for post-concussive headaches and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
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