The Veteran's current psychiatric condition, Mood Disorder, NOS, is found to have manifested within two years of his last period of active duty service. The appeal for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1702 is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s current psychiatric condition was diagnosed within the two-year post-service period and meets the criteria for treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702(b).
- Claimed conditions
- Mood Disorder, NOS
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071484
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 20071484.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to August 28, 2016. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent and granted a 70 percent rating from August 28, 2016 onward.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new examination to determine if the Veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder under DSM-IV or DSM-5. The examiner must also opine as to whether it is at least as likely as not that any diagnosed psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) commenced during or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran's period of service.
- Denied
The Board found that the reduction in disability rating from 100% to 70% for mood disorder (previously PTSD) was not proper, as it did not show improvement under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Veteran's mood disorder with alcohol dependence is rated at 100% since January 27, 2015. Prior to that date, the rating was 50%. The effective date for the increased rating remains pending as it has not been determined.
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