The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's major depressive disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a disability rating higher than 30 percent.

The deciding factor: The evidence failed to show symptoms reflective of a higher 50 percent rating, including flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

Claimed conditions

major depressive disorder

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 4, 2025

Citation

A25095991

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