The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder. The Veteran's claim was based on alleged in-service stressors related to unloading deceased military personnel, but the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for alcoholism was also denied as it is not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The Board found no credible evidence linking any current psychiatric condition to service and thus denied service connection. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service stressors were deemed unreliable, and there was insufficient medical evidence supporting a diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for alcoholism could not be established as it is not service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder), Alcoholism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21024114
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 21024114.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for PTSD was dismissed due to an improper concurrent election of review options, and the claim for alcoholism was denied as a matter of law.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD beginning March 16, 2010 and denied a motion for revision of an August 2007 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The Board also granted service connection for alcoholism, major depressive disorder, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, sleep apnea, and increased ratings for PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of a VA medical examination and opinion prior to rating his disability. The Veteran is diagnosed with multiple psychiatric disabilities, including depression, anxiety, irritability and anger, trauma/stressor-related disorder, and alcoholism. The Board requires a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service-connected conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.