The Board finds that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service. The personality disorder is not a diseases or injury within the meaning of applicable legislation for which service connection may be granted. Alcoholism and mixed substance abuse are a result of the veteran's own willful misconduct.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show that any psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, was present during active service or within any applicable presumptive period. The personality disorder is not considered a disease for VA purposes. Service connection for alcoholism and mixed substance abuse are prohibited due to the veteran's own willful misconduct.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including schizophrenia), Personality Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2004
- Citation
- 0407442
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,242 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0407442.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and increased rating for other specified trauma-related disorder was denied. The Board found that the May 1974 denial of service connection for a personality disorder did not address a reasonable raised claim for depression, which is related to the same period.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and the claims for personality disorder and panic/anxiety disorder have been remanded due to new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the hearing being cancelled and a need for additional clarification of his mental health condition. A VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed conditions, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring further examination and opinion regarding whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to service or superimposed upon his personality disorder.
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