BVA decisions by condition
Depressive disorder: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a depressive disorder issue in 3,367 decisions. It granted the depressive disorder issue in 20.2% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 24.5%, and remanded it in 52.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 45.2% were granted.
Decisions
3,367
2017–2026
Granted
20.2%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
45.2%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
52.5%
Denied: 24.5%
Depressive disorder outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 97 | 7.2% | 17.5% | 63.9% | 11.3% |
| 2018 | 220 | 16.8% | 17.7% | 60.5% | 5.0% |
| 2019 | 404 | 21.0% | 18.6% | 55.2% | 5.2% |
| 2020 | 488 | 14.5% | 27.7% | 53.7% | 4.1% |
| 2021 | 375 | 21.6% | 24.5% | 50.9% | 2.9% |
| 2022 | 388 | 14.2% | 21.6% | 60.3% | 3.9% |
| 2023 | 421 | 19.2% | 21.9% | 51.8% | 7.1% |
| 2024 | 422 | 23.7% | 26.1% | 46.9% | 3.3% |
| 2025 | 518 | 25.5% | 31.7% | 40.3% | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 137 | 29.2% | 29.9% | 38.0% | 2.9% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 depressive disorder decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the depressive 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 | 593 | 76.5% | 35.5% | +41.0 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 1,098 | 72.5% | 36.4% | +36.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 408 | 70.2% | 39.6% | +30.6 pts |
| Combat service | 175 | 62.0% | 44.4% | +17.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,156 | 53.1% | 39.4% | +13.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 218 | 50.0% | 44.7% | +5.3 pts |
| Lay statement | 2,741 | 43.2% | 57.4% | −14.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 65.9% of the decisions that granted depressive disorder.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 30.2% of grants and 9.4% 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 depressive 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 | 1,440 | 45.1% | 45.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 2,425 | 43.0% | 54.3% | −11.3 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied depressive disorder
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability67
- Current diagnosis established64
- Service connection established20
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability20
- Criteria for service connection met18
- Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas6
- Deficiencies in most areas of occupational and social impairment6
- Symptoms approximated 70% rating criteria5
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim74
- No current diagnosis37
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis35
- Service records negative or silent28
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service24
- Current diagnosis established14
- Symptoms did not meet criteria for 70% rating14
- Symptoms did not meet criteria for 100% rating8
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 depressive disorder decisions
Granted
Credible and corroborated MST report; MST occurred in line of duty during inactive duty for training; Etiologically related to PTSD and depression
Reduction in rating from 100% to 30% was improper.; VA failed to demonstrate sustained improvement.; VA failed to address ability to function under ordinary conditions.; Rating reduction void ab initio.
Resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran; Symptomatology consistent with 70 percent rating criteria; Deficiencies in most areas of occupational and social impairment
Denied
Service treatment records negative for mental health treatment.; VA examiner noted mild or transient symptoms, decreasing work efficiency only during significant stress.; Veteran reported significant mental health impacts but also full-time employment.; Board found veteran's statements regarding symptom severity not credible.; Private DBQ findings contradicted veteran's statements and VA exam.; Board afforded greater probative weight to VA examiner's opinion.; Evidence persuasively against claim; benefit of doubt doctrine not applicable.
Retains some social functioning and cognitive abilities; Does not meet criteria for total occupational impairment; Symptoms inconsistent with gross impairment or total isolation
Veteran's sustained employment at USPS weighs against total impairment.; Private opinion lacked rationale and review of relevant evidence.; Veteran's social functioning, including relationships and activities, weighs against total impairment.
Rules that apply to depressive 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 depressive 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 depressive 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.