Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failure to obtain SSA records and military records related to stressor verification. The Veteran's psychiatric disorders are being evaluated again with a new opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disability (including insomnia disorder and other specified depressive disorder with anxious distress), but has remanded the issue of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome due to a lack of adequate medical opinion.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of August 4, 2015 for special monthly compensation (SMC)(l) based on the need for aid and attendance (A&A). The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance since at least 2015.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for residuals of broken right toes is granted. The claims for service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep apnea are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's initial rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied, and the claim for service connection for a back disability is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to properly characterize and address all psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder. The Veteran's service records indicate he had longstanding mental health issues and behavioral changes between his tours of duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of essential tremors, headaches, bilateral upper and lower extremity weakness, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have caused him to be in the need of regular aid and attendance based on the need for assistance in activities of daily living and the inability to protect himself from the hazards incident to the daily environment. The Board has granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, psychiatric disorder, and eye disorder. The evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no current disability found.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including alcohol use disorder with cannabis use disorder. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service stressors were not credible and further verification is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was dismissed. Her claim for sleep apnea was granted, with the Board finding that her psychiatric disability aggravated her sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for migraines was denied. She received a 70 percent rating for her acquired psychiatric disorder, which met the criteria for TDIU and housebound SMC.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle sprain, but the claims for migraine headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, connective tissue disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claims for photophobia and an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to photophobia need further development due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for various service connection claims have been dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current mental health condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 20, 2025, for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for aid and attendance is remanded due to a lack of specific records from her private healthcare provider.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee instability, left knee instability, left foot metatarsalgia, and right foot metatarsalgia due to a lack of current disabilities. The evidence did not include a current diagnosis for any claimed conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete or inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The AOJ will obtain additional evidence, schedule examinations, and provide adequate VA opinions.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.,PTSD service connection granted with an effective date of January 27, 2025. The original claim was filed on July 10, 2024.,Claims for left wrist and right wrist disabilities are remanded due to lack of VA examination or medical opinion.,Claims for right shoulder disability and headache disability (tension headaches) are remanded as the VA examiner did not address specific assertions regarding in-service events.,The Veteran's low back disability is diagnosed but a VA examination or medical opinion was not provided.

The Veteran's claim for an additional period of a temporary total rating due to hospitalization more than 21 days for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is denied. The Veteran was hospitalized from November 29, 2023 to April 6, 2024, but there were no other periods during the appeal period where he had an extended hospital stay.