The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 9, 2013, for the award of service connection for psychotic disorder with adjustment disorder and depressed mood with a 70 percent rating was denied as it is not factually ascertainable that his service-connected psychiatric disability increased in severity so as to warrant a 70 percent rating within the year prior to the receipt of such claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder progressed to a new and separate diagnosis of psychotic disorder, resulting in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychotic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069445
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20069445.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder(s).
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and dysthymic disorder, are granted as at least as likely as not related to in-service military sexual trauma (MSTs). The claim for a sleep disorder is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder from March 1, 2023 was granted. The effective date remains pending as the earlier effective date request is separate and distinct.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymic disorder, adjustment disorder with anxiety, general anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, effective December 12, 2024.
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