The Board has determined that the veteran's major depression and paranoia and schizoaffective disorder clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and were not aggravated thereby. The RO is directed to obtain all pertinent treatment records, including those from The Meadows (March 1987), Ridgway Hospital (1990), St. Mary's Regional Hospital, and any other relevant medical records. A VA psychiatric examination should be scheduled for the veteran to determine the correct diagnosis(es) of her psychiatric disabilities and their relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO had not adequately considered all available evidence and needed to obtain additional treatment records from various facilities.
- Claimed conditions
- major depression, paranoia, schizoaffective disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2001
- Citation
- 0119904
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0119904.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for major depression, personality disorder, and severe anxiety due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for tonic-clonic seizures or grand mal epilepsy, left and right carpal tunnel syndrome, back/spinal cord injury, and major depression due to pre-decisional errors in the duty to assist.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder to ensure proper notice and a new VA psychiatric examination.
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