The Veteran's variously diagnosed psychiatric disorder, including depressive symptoms, is found to be at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected low back disability. The rating for lumbosacral fibrositis and arthritis remains unchanged.
The deciding factor: A VA psychiatrist concluded that the Veteran's mood and psychotic disorders (bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, depression, major depression) are at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected low back disability. The medical expert also found depressive symptoms to be at least as likely as not aggravated by back pain attributable to the service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Variously diagnosed psychiatric disorder (including depressive component/symptoms, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, depression, major depression, mood disorder secondary to general medical condition)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2012
- Citation
- 1205042
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 1205042.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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