The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder, as the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are not shown to be related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD based on a verified stressor event in service or fear of hostile military activity. The examiner found no significant symptoms meeting DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and concluded that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are less likely related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179428
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 PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to an unclear employment history and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board granted a staged disability rating of 70 percent for the service-connected generalized anxiety disorder from January 8, 2024, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 12, 2022, for a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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