The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD and physical conditions like shoulder and back scarring, do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disability does not preclude him from engaging in solitary or near-solitary employment, and he is able to volunteer for church activities which indicate he can work alone.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder, scarring acne of the face and back, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right ankle degenerative changes, bilateral plantar calcaneal spurs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2021
- Citation
- A21019261
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 A21019261.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The appeal to sever service connection for right shoulder degenerative joint disease is dismissed.
- 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.
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