MDD potential rating? Help

Hey guys,

I’ve been reading this board since I was told I was being medboarded. My main condition, which is listed as unfitting on my NARSUM is MDD moderate to severe with Anxiety NOS/panic disorder.

I’m unsure if my rating will be 50% or 70%. In box 3a. The provider checked the terminology that goes with 70% however, my symptoms were listed as follows:
-Depressed mood
-Anxiety
-Panic attacks more than once a week
-Chronic sleep impairment
-Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events.
-flattened affect
-impaired abstract thinking
-disturbance of motivation and mood
-difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships
-difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, including work or a work like setting
-Suicidal Ideation

So, despite being hospitalized, and then going through outpatient therapy, my symptoms are more 50% but he checked the 70% box. So I’m confused on how I should expect to be rated.

The 70% box check means youll
Get a 70% rating.

tony292 said:

The 70% box check means youll
Get a 70% rating.

Click to expand...

There’s no way they put me at 50% instead of 70% just because of 3a.?

No, the eater will go off 3A and match it up to the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, the occupational and social Impairment statement is what the rater uses.

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as:
gross impairment in thought processes or communication;
persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate
behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent
inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance
of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memo
loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100%

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas,
such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood,
due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals
which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical,
obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting
the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively;
impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods
of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and
hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including
work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain
effective relationships 70%

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and
productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial,
circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once
a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment
of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned
material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired
abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in
establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50%

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work
efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational
tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine
behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms
as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or
less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as
forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30%

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms
which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational
tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled
by continuous medication 10%

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not
severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social
functioning or to require continuous medication0%

Mine is a bit of the reverse, was marked in 3A with "Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by medication" with the following symptoms checked off: Depressed mood, Anxiety Suspiciousness, Panic attacks more than once a week, Near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively, Chronic sleep impairment, Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events, Flattened affect, Impaired judgment, Disturbances of motivation and mood, Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, Difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, including work or a work like setting,Spatial disorientation, Grossly inappropriate behavior, Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene.

Would I align more with the 10% or reasonably expect to be more likely a 50-70% due to checked symptoms?

You can easily submit a VARR for higher rating if your doctor notes and symptoms align more with a higher rating.

Where do you guys see this 3a box?

It’s on the mental health DBQ.


Once you’ve had CP exams you can sign up for a premium account on myhealthevet and read the DBQ.

Slicks586 said:

There’s no way they put me at 50% instead of 70% just because of 3a.?

Click to expand...

I feel the same man. My notes say a lot more than the 3a only 50%. I’m very surprised and feel like I’m getting screwed with this one.