The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. Additionally, there is no evidence of alcohol dependency/abuse secondary to her service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions, and the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied due to lack of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disability (including PTSD, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Depression), Alcohol Dependency/Abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801314
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 1801314.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for ADHD, finding that it clearly and unmistakably preexisted the Veteran's service but was aggravated by military service. The claim for bipolar disorder was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including bipolar disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 20, 2007 for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and increased ratings to 70% from March 27, 2020 to June 5, 2020, and 100% from June 5, 2020. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for PTSD and schizoaffective disorder based on the severity of symptoms that approximate total occupational and social impairment.
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