The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder not otherwise specified, and anxiety disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service stressors or a current diagnosis of PTSD. The other diagnosed conditions were found to be unrelated to service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's lay reports regarding combat-related stressors were inconsistent with his verified military service records and therefore unreliable. Additionally, there was no medical evidence linking the acquired psychiatric disorders to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder not otherwise specified, Alcohol use disorder, Anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196323
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 19196323.
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 an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and other specified trauma and stressor disorder and alcohol use disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, as the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors were not credible.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, varicose veins, right knee disability, and bilateral foot pain causing impairment in earning capacity on a direct basis.
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