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
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.
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 denied service connection for a personality disorder and remanded claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 50 percent and 70 percent for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depressive disorder, trauma and stressor related disorder, personality disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a personality disorder due to the lack of evidence supporting a current diagnosis of PTSD and the presence of a diagnosed personality disorder that is not subject to service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for the AOJ to correct several pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining private psychiatric treatment records and SSA disability/SSI benefit records.
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