The Veteran's claim for service connection for a mood disorder, characterized as depression with alcohol dependence, was denied. The Board found that the current diagnoses of depression and alcohol dependence were not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current mood disorders to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of skin cancer, mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2015
- Citation
- 1516822
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 1516822.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran also sought TDIU based on his mood disorder and anxiety, which was granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for asthma and a mood disorder, as well as TDIU benefits, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during the appeal process.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal seeking service connection for insomnia, depression, and mood disorder was dismissed because the March 2025 rating decision did not adjudicate these claims. The Veteran submitted a supplemental claim seeking service connection for anxiety condition, adjustment disorder, and depression (which had already been granted), but this did not address the issue of service connection for insomnia.
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