The Board denied an initial disability rating higher than 50 percent for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found the mental disorder productive of mild and transient impairment matching the criteria for a 10 percent rating, while the October 2023 examiner found the mental disorder productive of occasional impairment matching the criteria for a 30 percent rating. The evidence did not indicate the type of emotional and cognitive impairment reserved for the next-highest level of impairment of 70 percent under 38 C.F.R. § 4.130.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25047400
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, finding that her symptoms more closely approximated those required for such a rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder, mood disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, variously diagnosed as unspecified depressive disorder and major depressive disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 7, 2020, for the award of a 70 percent rating for unspecified depressive disorder and TDIU, but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.
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