The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder, are granted as service connected. The back disability is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to in-service injury.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the psychiatric conditions was established based on a positive nexus opinion concluding that the Veteran's current mental health issues likely began during his military service. For the back disability, there was no credible evidence linking the current condition to an in-service injury or event.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorder, degenerative arthritis of the spine, spondylolisthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2021
- Citation
- 21015082
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 21015082.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
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