The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they did not include deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood due to symptoms like suicidal ideation or obsessional rituals.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042743
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.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for a mental health condition and denied service connection for an eye condition. The claims for autoimmune limbic encephalitis with non-paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (NPLE) with GAD65 antibodies and dystonia and dystonic tremor were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 3, 2022, for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress contributed substantially or materially to her death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.