The Board has granted service connection for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and substance abuse disorder. The appeal concerning presumptive service connection of a mental illness for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. § 1702 is dismissed as the Veteran's established awards of service connection provide equal or greater access to VA treatment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran’s schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and substance abuse disorders began during service, granting service connection on a direct basis.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, substance abuse disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21006995
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 21006995.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Granted
The Veteran's schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas from November 15, 2016, to August 10, 2021.,Beginning August 11, 2021, the disability caused total occupational and social impairment.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection of substance abuse disorder is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his condition was caused by or related to active service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type was dismissed due to her death during the pendency of the appeal.
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