The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no evidence of a disability in service or continuity of symptoms thereafter.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder during service or within the applicable presumptive period, and post-service medical records showed diagnoses many years after discharge with no link to service.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent major depression, dysthymic disorder, intermittent explosive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2009
- Citation
- 0910700
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 service-connected dysthymic disorder, anxiety disorder, borderline intellectual functioning, and dyslexia have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased rating of 70 percent for dysthymic disorder and a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability, effective July 31, 2008.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the period prior to May 12, 2023, and a rating in excess of 70 percent from May 12, 2023.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran did not file claims for major depression, intermittent explosive disorder, diabetes, tinnitus, and bilateral feet conditions. The Board also denied a higher rating and an earlier effective date for bronchial asthma.
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