The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including major depression and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, to his active service. The diagnoses were attributed to substance abuse rather than military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that it was not possible to know if the Veteran's prior mental health symptoms were independent diagnoses or caused by substance abuse.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depression, Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1511139
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 1511139.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
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The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Major Depression, and Panic Disorder due to his withdrawal of these issues prior to a decision being made.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depression and anxiety disorder are considered part of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, which already qualifies him for SMC(l). Therefore, he is not eligible for a higher rate of SMC.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of persistent depressive disorder was denied as the earliest date of claim is January 29, 2010.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his persistent depressive disorder was also denied. The current assigned rating of 70 percent has been in effect since at least December 2012.
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