BVA decisions by condition
Depression: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a depression issue in 658 decisions. It granted the depression issue in 8.5% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 20.2%, and remanded it in 58.7%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 29.6% were granted.
Decisions
658
2017–2026
Granted
8.5%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
29.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
58.7%
Denied: 20.2%
Depression outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 84 | 4.8% | 9.5% | 69.0% | 16.7% |
| 2019 | 97 | 6.2% | 20.6% | 55.7% | 17.5% |
| 2020 | 73 | 8.2% | 23.3% | 56.2% | 12.3% |
| 2021 | 71 | 15.5% | 29.6% | 43.7% | 11.3% |
| 2023 | 72 | 9.7% | 16.7% | 58.3% | 15.3% |
| 2024 | 91 | 9.9% | 20.9% | 54.9% | 14.3% |
| 2025 | 76 | 7.9% | 31.6% | 55.3% | 5.3% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 depression decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the depression 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 | 140 | 50.0% | 24.8% | +25.2 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 224 | 44.6% | 20.0% | +24.6 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 51 | 50.0% | 27.2% | +22.8 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 93 | 48.0% | 26.8% | +21.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 44 | 36.8% | 28.8% | +8.0 pts |
| Combat service | 40 | 16.7% | 30.1% | −13.4 pts |
| Lay statement | 547 | 28.0% | 42.9% | −14.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 73.2% of the decisions that granted depression.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 30.4% of grants and 12.0% 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 depression 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 | 302 | 30.4% | 29.1% | +1.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 475 | 28.3% | 36.7% | −8.4 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied depression
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established2
- Symptoms consistent with 70% rating criteria2
- Suicidal ideation present2
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis5
- No current diagnosis5
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim5
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service4
- Service records negative or silent4
- Symptoms did not meet criteria for 70% rating3
- Evidence persuasively weighs against service connection2
- Current diagnosis established1
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 depression decisions
Granted
AOJ relied on finding of improvement for 50% rating.; Veteran's statements of no improvement are credible and supported by private exam.; Private exam found sustained severe impairment.
VA examination found occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.; Private treatment records noted severe depression with mood disturbances.; Board found symptoms approximated 70 percent rating criteria.
Symptoms consistent with 70% rating criteria; Passive suicidal ideation present; Occupational and social impairment
Denied
No credible evidence of current acquired psychiatric disorder; No credible evidence of in-service event or injury; No competent evidence of causative link to service; Personality disorder not service-connectable
No in-service complaints, diagnosis, or treatment for psychiatric disability.; Absence of psychiatric symptoms for several years after service.; No continuity of psychiatric symptomatology since service.; No current diagnosis of PTSD.; Failure to provide details for claimed PTSD stressor.
Chronic depressive personality disorder not a compensable condition; No in-service event related to depression; No evidence of nexus between depression and service
Rules that apply to depression 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 depression 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 depression 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.