The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD, the in-service stressors are not sufficient to establish a traumatic event leading to PTSD, and there is insufficient evidence linking bipolar disorder to service.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the in-service stressors do not meet the criteria for establishing a traumatic event leading to PTSD. The Veteran's bipolar disorder was not incurred during service as there are no records indicating any psychiatric symptoms or treatment related to bipolar disorder during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Bipolar Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179391
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding a causal relationship between the condition and an in-service incident of military sexual trauma (MST).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 29, 2019 for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disorder, and a lumbar spine disorder.
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