The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, primarily diagnosed as a mood disorder with psychotic features and schizoaffective disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it is related to any service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disorders were not shown to be directly related to his military service, nor could they be presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange or other service-related factors. Additionally, the Board found no evidence supporting a secondary service connection based on aggravation of a pre-existing disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1732520
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 1732520.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and neurocognitive disorder is remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination addressing whether the pre-existing psychiatric disorder was aggravated during service.
- 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.
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