The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and specified trauma and stress-related disorder, warrant a rating of 70 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms include depression affecting his ability to function independently, panic attacks more than once a week, memory impairments, suicidal ideation, and impaired impulse control (unprovoked irritability with threats to break things). These symptoms result in occupational impairment with deficiencies in most areas, particularly work, mood, and family relations.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2016
- Citation
- 1607281
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 1607281.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC (Aid and Attendance) was denied because he did not meet the criteria of needing regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. The claim for SMC (Housebound Status) was also denied as he did not have a single 100% disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The Veteran's STRs are unavailable, but he reported a stressful incident during service which may be related to his current mental health conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, including as due to military sexual trauma (MST), should be remanded. The AOJ needs to correct any pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and obtain a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD was granted with an effective date of April 15, 2015. The prior denial of the claim was due to lack of evidence showing a clinically diagnosed condition of PTSD.
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