Depression VA claims: secondary conditions and what the Board grants

How does VA rate depression?

Under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130, from 0 to 100 percent, by how much the symptoms impair work and social life.

The General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders covers depression, PTSD and anxiety alike. The steps run from a diagnosis with mild symptoms up to total occupational and social impairment. Treatment records, statements about work and family life, and a current VA exam are what the rating rests on.

Can depression be secondary to chronic pain from a service-connected condition?

Yes, under 38 CFR 3.310(a), with a medical opinion linking the two. Depression claimed secondary to a back condition was granted for 198 of 409 veterans (48.4%), and secondary to a knee condition for 138 of 266 (51.9%).

Under 38 CFR 3.310(a), a condition caused or made worse by a service-connected disability is service connected too. Many depression claims at the Board are built this way, on the pain and limits of a physical condition.

Granted

All depression claims

38.2%

PTSD

63.2%

Diabetes

54.2%

Knee condition

51.9%

Migraine

49.4%

Back condition

48.4%

Hearing loss

46.3%

Tinnitus

39.5%

TBI

38.2%

Share of decided claims granted; a remand counts as not granted. One count per veteran. Secondary claims are the ones the Board marked as secondary to that condition.

Claimed secondary to	Granted	Veterans	Share
Back condition	198	409	48.4%
Knee condition	138	266	51.9%
Tinnitus	94	238	39.5%
PTSD	117	185	63.2%
Hearing loss	76	164	46.3%
Migraine	38	77	49.4%
TBI	26	68	38.2%
Shoulder condition	30	65	46.2%
Diabetes	26	48	54.2%

A back condition is the link veterans claim most. The highest share is for PTSD; diabetes, a knee condition and migraine follow.

Can depression be secondary to PTSD, tinnitus or hearing loss?

Yes. Secondary to PTSD, the Board granted 117 of 185 (63.2%); secondary to hearing loss 46.3% and to tinnitus 39.5%.

Hearing loss and tinnitus are common service-connected conditions, and depression claimed secondary to them reaches the Board often. In a recent grant, a private medical opinion tied the veteran's depression to the hearing loss and tinnitus.

Does VA presume depression after a traumatic brain injury?

Yes. Under 38 CFR 3.310(d), depression is held to be caused by a service-connected TBI if it appears within three years of a moderate or severe TBI, or within twelve months of a mild one, unless there is clear evidence to the contrary.

That rule, in 38 CFR 3.310(d), means the medical link does not have to be argued when the timing fits. Outside those time limits, depression can still be service connected on a medical opinion. Depression claimed secondary to a TBI was granted for 26 of 68 veterans (38.2%).

Look up your client's group

Every base, exposure and job with at least 15 decided depression claims, 55 groups in all. Only 3 clear our bar for a lead, all of them bases: Fort Bliss, Fort Campbell and Parris Island.

Bases 16Exposures 23Military jobs 16

Bar: share of this group's depression claims the Board granted. Red line: all depression claims, 38.2% granted. A bar past the line won more often than usual.

×

More often than usual: how much more often depression comes up in this group's decisions than in all Board decisions. It shows how common the condition is here, not how often it wins.

Set aside

For groups VA does not presume, veterans whose decision shows service VA already presumes for depression (for example Vietnam or Thailand for Agent Orange) are left out, because for them the presumption is the answer.

Sort byGrant shareMore often than usualClaims decided

• Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot

  Good lead
  50.0% granted · 10 of 20

  1.9×more often

• Fort Hood
  48.6% granted · 18 of 37

  1.3×more often

• Fort Bliss

  Good lead
  47.1% granted · 8 of 17

  1.5×more often

• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California
  46.2% granted · 12 of 26

  0.9×more often

• Fort Bragg
  43.2% granted · 16 of 37

  0.5×more often

• Fort Campbell

  Good lead
  40.0% granted · 10 of 25

  1.5×more often

• Fort Gordon (Eisenhower)
  38.5% granted · 10 of 26

  1.3×more often

• Fort McClellan, Alabama
  38.1% granted · 8 of 21

  0.5×more often

• Fort Benning
  37.5% granted · 9 of 24

  0.8×more often

• Da Nang AFB
  34.8% granted · 8 of 23

  0.6×more often

• Camp Lejeune
  31.5% granted · 52 of 165

  0.7×more often

• Fort Polk
  30.0% granted · 6 of 20

  1.1×more often

• Fort Knox
  25.8% granted · 8 of 31

  1.6×more often

• Fort Ord
  25.0% granted · 5 of 20

  1.4×more often

• Fort Dix, NJ
  21.7% granted · 5 of 23

  1.2×more often

• Fort Jackson
  19.5% granted · 8 of 41

  1.6×more often

What conditions are claimed secondary to depression?

Sleep apnea most often: 297 of 749 veterans were granted (39.7%). Migraine (45.2%) and erectile dysfunction (40.0%) did about as well; hypertension did worse (24.7%).

Depression is a common starting point for other claims. Sleep apnea secondary to depression is one of the most common secondary claims at the Board. Acid reflux was granted less often (15 of 60).

Read the decisions

Recent decisions, with the Board's reasoning as summarized by AI:

• A26039540, April 2026: major depressive disorder granted secondary to a service-connected neck condition; the veteran tied the depression to chronic pain.
• A26040623, April 2026: major depressive disorder granted secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus, on a private medical opinion.
• A26038647, April 2026: depression claimed secondary to PTSD, denied; the depressed mood responded to therapy and did not meet the criteria for major depressive disorder.
• A26039572, April 2026: denied; the depression was linked to foot and back pain, but those conditions were not service connected.

What the data cannot tell you

Depression claims are often worded broadly ("an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression"), and the count follows the diagnostic code, so some claims for several mental health conditions are included. Secondary counts include only claims the Board marked as secondary to a condition. Groups come from what each decision mentions. These are historical outcomes, not predictions.

For representatives

• Make sure the condition the claim rests on is service connected first; the last denial above turned on that.
• Get a medical opinion that explains how the pain or the condition causes or worsens the depression, not only that both are present.
• After a moderate or severe TBI, check the timing under 38 CFR 3.310(d) before arguing the link.
• Once depression is service connected, screen for sleep apnea, migraine and erectile dysfunction.