BVA decisions by condition
Anxiety disorder: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a anxiety disorder issue in 12,624 decisions. It granted the anxiety disorder issue in 21.0% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 25.6%, and remanded it in 50.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 45.0% were granted.
Decisions
12,624
2017–2026
Granted
21.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
45.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
50.3%
Denied: 25.6%
Anxiety disorder outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 621 | 17.1% | 26.6% | 46.5% | 9.8% |
| 2018 | 1,219 | 19.7% | 23.0% | 51.8% | 5.5% |
| 2019 | 1,457 | 18.3% | 24.0% | 54.2% | 3.4% |
| 2020 | 1,432 | 19.1% | 26.4% | 51.0% | 3.5% |
| 2021 | 1,299 | 21.7% | 24.9% | 49.4% | 3.9% |
| 2022 | 1,221 | 22.0% | 20.7% | 52.8% | 4.4% |
| 2023 | 1,419 | 18.0% | 22.6% | 55.0% | 4.4% |
| 2024 | 1,633 | 20.6% | 25.5% | 49.7% | 4.1% |
| 2025 | 2,038 | 22.8% | 31.4% | 43.0% | 2.8% |
| 2026 | 682 | 27.3% | 29.3% | 40.3% | 3.1% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied anxiety disorder decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the anxiety disorder issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 2,272 | 80.4% | 31.7% | +48.8 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 1,682 | 75.0% | 36.6% | +38.4 pts |
| Buddy statement | 475 | 65.7% | 44.1% | +21.6 pts |
| Combat service | 985 | 64.1% | 42.8% | +21.2 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 789 | 63.3% | 43.3% | +20.0 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 3,797 | 56.9% | 38.2% | +18.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 2,557 | 58.5% | 42.3% | +16.2 pts |
| Lay statement | 10,208 | 45.0% | 45.0% | +0.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 68.8% of the decisions that granted anxiety disorder.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 39.5% of grants and 12.9% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often anxiety disorder was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 5,519 | 42.9% | 46.8% | −3.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 8,689 | 42.2% | 54.9% | −12.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied anxiety disorder
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established346
- Caused by the service-connected disability126
- Service connection established41
- Criteria for service connection met37
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability31
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted18
- Holistic analysis of symptoms considered17
- Symptoms approximated 70% criteria16
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis411
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim268
- Service records negative or silent204
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis174
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service151
- Current diagnosis established149
- Criteria for service connection not met63
- Symptoms consistent with 30% rating20
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent anxiety disorder decisions
Granted
Private psychiatric evaluation found anxiety disorder to be significant and resulting from PTSD.; Anxiety disorder symptoms accompanied PTSD symptoms like panic attacks.; Anxiety disorder is due to service-connected PTSD.
No dispute of current disability.; Credible in-service stressor established.; VA examiner provided positive nexus.
Private medical opinion found insomnia likely resulted from service-connected back condition.; VA opinion was inadequate as it acknowledged the link but issued a negative nexus.; Insomnia disorder is a recognized mental health diagnosis.
Denied
No competent evidence of current mental health diagnosis; VA examiner found no DSM-5 diagnosis; Veteran reported only mild, transient anxiety symptoms; No current treatment for mental health conditions
Anxiety not related to toxic exposure risk activity; Bare assertion of anxiety related to active duty; No supporting service treatment records for anxiety
No in-service complaints or treatment for insomnia; No nexus established to service; McLendon criteria for remand not met
Rules that apply to anxiety disorder claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your anxiety disorder case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a anxiety disorder issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.