The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, was reopened due to new evidence. The Board found that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of depression and anxiety, which were present during his active duty service and exacerbated by military stress. Therefore, the Board granted service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran based on the opinion of a psychologist who concluded that the Veteran was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder at separation from service and had depression and anxiety during his service which were exacerbated by military stress.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, anxiety
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21073796
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 21073796.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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