BVA decisions by condition
Schizophrenia: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a schizophrenia issue in 1,144 decisions. It granted the schizophrenia issue in 26.0% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 18.6%, and remanded it in 48.1%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 58.2% were granted.
Decisions
1,144
2017–2026
Granted
26.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
58.2%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
48.1%
Denied: 18.6%
Schizophrenia outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 107 | 19.6% | 16.8% | 45.8% | 17.8% |
| 2018 | 141 | 20.6% | 17.7% | 51.1% | 10.6% |
| 2019 | 186 | 21.0% | 15.1% | 55.4% | 8.6% |
| 2020 | 145 | 25.5% | 22.8% | 49.0% | 2.8% |
| 2021 | 126 | 26.2% | 22.2% | 46.8% | 4.8% |
| 2022 | 105 | 23.8% | 17.1% | 52.4% | 6.7% |
| 2023 | 127 | 33.1% | 15.0% | 42.5% | 9.4% |
| 2024 | 96 | 32.3% | 12.5% | 47.9% | 7.3% |
| 2025 | 91 | 37.4% | 22.0% | 35.2% | 5.5% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 schizophrenia decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the schizophrenia 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 | 233 | 82.9% | 46.5% | +36.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 136 | 80.6% | 52.6% | +28.0 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 420 | 71.7% | 46.5% | +25.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 65 | 74.1% | 57.3% | +16.7 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 98 | 66.2% | 56.9% | +9.2 pts |
| Combat service | 56 | 57.7% | 58.3% | −0.6 pts |
| Lay statement | 897 | 55.4% | 74.0% | −18.6 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 69.0% of the decisions that granted schizophrenia.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 34.0% of grants and 8.9% 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 schizophrenia 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 | 432 | 48.9% | 66.3% | −17.4 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 669 | 52.1% | 73.8% | −21.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied schizophrenia
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established35
- Continuity of symptomatology since service6
- New and material evidence submitted5
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim5
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted4
- Service connection granted4
- New and material evidence received4
- Criteria for service connection met3
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim28
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis21
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service20
- Service records negative or silent14
- Current diagnosis established10
- No continuity of symptomatology8
- No current diagnosis7
- Continuity of symptomatology since service3
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 schizophrenia decisions
Granted
Private psychological evaluation found Veteran "unquestionably 100% disabled" due to gross impairment in thought processes, delusions, disorganized speech, poor interpersonal functioning, and high impulsivity.; Private examiner's findings supported by VA treatment records showing visual hallucinations and chronic delusions.; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor, finding total occupational and social impairment.
Symptoms more closely approximate criteria for 70% rating; Benefit of the doubt afforded to Veteran; Symptoms include hallucinations and passive suicidal ideation
No pre-service mental health issues documented; In-service onset of mental health manifestations; Private opinion found condition related to service
Denied
Suicidal ideation not persistent or active during appeal period.; Private evaluations contradicted by other medical/lay evidence.; Lack of acknowledgment of conflicting evidence in private evaluations.
No in-service injury or disease during ACDUTRA; Schizoaffective disorder is a disease, not an injury; Symptoms first noticed during INACDUTRA; Symptoms appeared to predate INACDUTRA
Schizophrenia not of record at time of decision; Later claim denied separately; Not properly before the Board for adjudication
Rules that apply to schizophrenia 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 schizophrenia 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 schizophrenia 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.