BVA decisions by condition
Psychoses: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a psychoses issue in 1,093 decisions. It granted the psychoses issue in 25.7% of them, above the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 19.0%, and remanded it in 54.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 57.5% were granted.
Decisions
1,093
2018–2026
Granted
25.7%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
57.5%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
54.3%
Denied: 19.0%
Psychoses outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 74 | 14.9% | 20.3% | 59.5% |
| 2020 | 127 | 19.7% | 18.1% | 63.8% |
| 2021 | 132 | 22.0% | 12.9% | 60.6% |
| 2022 | 146 | 27.4% | 18.5% | 54.8% |
| 2023 | 207 | 28.0% | 20.8% | 53.1% |
| 2024 | 183 | 23.0% | 19.1% | 54.6% |
| 2025 | 146 | 33.6% | 22.6% | 41.8% |
| 2026 | 76 | 34.2% | 19.7% | 48.7% |
Evidence in granted and denied psychoses decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the psychoses 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 | 187 | 86.2% | 47.1% | +39.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 122 | 84.0% | 51.1% | +32.9 pts |
| Combat service | 71 | 75.0% | 56.1% | +18.9 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 84 | 67.9% | 56.2% | +11.7 pts |
| Buddy statement | 47 | 66.7% | 57.2% | +9.5 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 352 | 62.1% | 54.5% | +7.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 112 | 50.0% | 57.8% | −7.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 909 | 55.8% | 76.9% | −21.1 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 77.2% of the decisions that granted psychoses.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 37.4% of grants and 13.0% 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 psychoses 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 | 436 | 50.2% | 62.9% | −12.6 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 745 | 53.6% | 74.4% | −20.8 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied psychoses
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established15
- Symptoms approximate total occupational and social impairment4
- Symptoms approximated total occupational and social impairment4
- Deficiencies in most areas of occupational and social functioning4
- Caused by the service-connected disability4
- Continuity of symptomatology since service3
- Symptoms approximated 70% rating criteria3
- Total occupational and social impairment found3
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim21
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis12
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service11
- Service records negative or silent10
- No current diagnosis6
- Symptoms did not meet criteria for 100% rating5
- Evidence did not support total occupational and social impairment4
- Current diagnosis established2
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 psychoses decisions
Granted
Benefit of the doubt afforded to appellant.; Evidence in approximate balance.; Preexisting psychiatric disorder aggravated beyond natural progression by service.
Current psychiatric disability found by AOJ.; Veteran's testimony regarding traumatic service events found credible and competent.; Private medical opinion persuasively linked disorder to service, explaining lack of service records.; VA opinion given little weight due to reliance on lack of documented symptoms.
Symptoms of disturbed motivation and mood; Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships; Resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran
Denied
Evidence did not demonstrate total occupational and social impairment.; Symptoms did not rise to the level required for 100% rating.; Impairment most closely approximated 70% rating criteria.
No PTSD diagnosis; other specified trauma and stressor related disorder not related to service.; Private opinion deemed inadequate due to conclusory reasoning and internal inconsistencies.; Veteran's claims of psychiatric treatment during service and incarceration found not credible due to inconsistencies with records.
Evidence did not support total occupational and social impairment prior to July 1, 2017.; Veteran maintained some social relationships and had normal thought processes/judgement per VA exam.; Evidence did not support total occupational and social impairment from December 11, 2019.
Rules that apply to psychoses 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 psychoses 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 psychoses 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 (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.