The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a 50 percent rating is warranted based on his symptoms of depression, sleep impairment, intrusive thoughts, irritability, mild memory loss, disturbances of mood and motivation, and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's GAF scores have consistently indicated moderate to moderately severe mental health impairment, with the most recent score being 50-60. His symptoms include depression, sleep disruptions, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, increased irritability, avoidance, and limited social contact.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- July 28, 2014
- Citation
- 1433522
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 1433522.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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