The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and does not meet the applicable criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that his diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder was present in service or for many years thereafter, and has not been shown by competent and probative medical evidence to be etiologically related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records are negative for complaints, diagnoses, or treatment of any acquired psychiatric disorder. His current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD under DSM-5.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include PTSD and/or Anxiety), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1646234
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 1646234.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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