The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and an adjustment disorder. The evidence did not support the presence of a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric condition in accordance with DSM-5 criteria. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service stressors were found to be inconsistent and therefore not credible.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no competent or credible evidence linking the adjustment disorder to service, as the Veteran did not report any in-service stressors and his statements about such events were inconsistent with other evidence of record. The diagnosis of an adjustment disorder was based on post-service events unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disability (specifically diagnosed as an adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression in April 2019)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20065250
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
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