BVA decisions by condition
Psychosis: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a psychosis issue in 8,723 decisions. It granted the psychosis issue in 11.0% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 22.8%, and remanded it in 63.9%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 32.5% were granted.
Decisions
8,723
2017–2026
Granted
11.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
32.5%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
63.9%
Denied: 22.8%
Psychosis outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 921 | 11.2% | 34.2% | 49.0% |
| 2018 | 1,670 | 12.8% | 23.1% | 61.4% |
| 2019 | 1,361 | 11.6% | 22.0% | 65.0% |
| 2020 | 843 | 9.1% | 21.8% | 66.9% |
| 2021 | 702 | 7.8% | 23.2% | 67.7% |
| 2022 | 776 | 5.8% | 16.6% | 76.3% |
| 2023 | 856 | 8.6% | 19.0% | 70.9% |
| 2024 | 726 | 12.9% | 19.6% | 66.4% |
| 2025 | 636 | 15.7% | 24.8% | 57.2% |
| 2026 | 232 | 18.1% | 23.3% | 55.6% |
Evidence in granted and denied psychosis decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the psychosis 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 | 1,069 | 75.9% | 21.0% | +54.9 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 675 | 71.2% | 26.0% | +45.2 pts |
| Buddy statement | 362 | 57.4% | 31.6% | +25.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 504 | 52.2% | 30.9% | +21.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 2,361 | 46.0% | 25.4% | +20.5 pts |
| Combat service | 702 | 45.5% | 31.2% | +14.3 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 914 | 28.6% | 32.8% | −4.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 6,967 | 30.3% | 50.2% | −19.8 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 75.9% of the decisions that granted psychosis.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 40.7% of grants and 8.8% 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 psychosis 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 | 3,689 | 26.8% | 38.9% | −12.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 5,439 | 27.5% | 48.8% | −21.3 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied psychosis
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established105
- Continuity of symptomatology since service26
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim11
- New and material evidence submitted10
- New and material evidence submitted to reopen claim9
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted8
- Criteria for service connection met8
- Caused by the service-connected disability8
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis288
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim242
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service171
- Service records negative or silent169
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis133
- Current diagnosis established74
- No continuity of symptomatology24
- Continuity of symptomatology since service18
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 psychosis decisions
Granted
Favorable finding of current psychiatric disorder by AOJ; Conflicting opinions from private and VA examiners; VA opinion deemed conclusory and lacking adequate rationale; Private opinion found more probative due to detailed reasoning; Benefit of the doubt applied to resolve approximate balance of evidence
Total occupational and social impairment; Persistent danger of hurting self; Gross impairment in thought processes or communication
Persuasive weight of the evidence weighs in favor of finding that the Veteran's mental health condition was causally related to service.; Benefit of all reasonable doubt given to the Veteran.
Denied
No current diagnosis of acquired psychiatric disorder; Absence of supporting service treatment records for counseling; Preponderance of evidence weighs against claim
No current psychiatric diagnosis; Not incurred in or resulting from service
STRs negative for mental disorder; Lay testimony not competent for etiology; No pre-decisional duty to assist error
Rules that apply to psychosis 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 psychosis 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 psychosis 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.