An effective date of October 7, 2022 for the award of a 50 percent rating for depressive disorder with anxious distress has been granted.,A rating in excess of 50 percent for depressive disorder with anxious distress is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms, including depression and anxiety, were found to be associated with his already service-connected psychiatric disability. The Board granted an effective date of October 7, 2022 for the award of a 50 percent rating.,There is no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss or in-service incurrence/aggravation, thus denying service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's depressive disorder with anxious distress was found to cause occupational and social impairment due to symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, mood disturbance, and suicidal ideation. However, these symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- February 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26018179
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 A26018179.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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