The Board has found that the previous denial of service connection for an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD is incorrect and remands the case to obtain a proper examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hearing loss aggravates his diagnosed condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address secondary service connection, which was necessary given the Veteran's claim for aggravation of his acquired mental disorder by his service-connected hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2021
- Citation
- A21017896
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 A21017896.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder with persistent depressive disorder, anxious distress, and pure dysthymic syndrome was granted. The appeal for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the issue has been rendered irrelevant by the grant of service connection in another appeal stream.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's persistent depressive disorder, moderate with anxious distress and panic attacks is related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, but his service-connected persistent depressive disorder alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. The Veteran's current disability is found to be at least as likely as not due to the in-service event of his father's death.
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