The veteran's bipolar disorder with psychotic features is not shown to have had its clinical onset in service or otherwise to be related to any event or incident of active service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show a relationship between the claimed disability and the veteran's period of active service, as there is no clear evidence of bipolar disorder during service and the examiner opined that the disorder likely began prior to service based on the veteran's report of hearing voices in high school.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder with psychotic features
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0903985
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bipolar disorder with psychotic features and polysubstance abuse disorder was granted a 100 percent disability rating as of January 23, 2020, and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 was also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 7, 2012, for the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder with psychotic features and anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of August 11, 2021, for the award of a 100 percent evaluation for bipolar disorder with psychotic features.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, PTSD, sleep problems, and audio hallucinations, as further evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed condition.
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