The Board found no evidence of a service-connected acquired psychiatric disability or substance abuse. The veteran's conditions were first diagnosed many years after active service, and there is no medical opinion linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: There was insufficient evidence to establish that the veteran's current psychiatric disability or substance abuse had its onset during service or was caused by a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disability, Substance abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2002
- Citation
- 0214793
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 0214793.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for her acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as the evidence did not support a finding that his current mental health conditions were related to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
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