The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for unspecified bipolar disorder and related disorders, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current diagnosis and military service.
The deciding factor: The November 2016 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's unspecified bipolar and related disorders did not begin during service and were more likely due to a chemical imbalance rather than military stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified bipolar disorder, related disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22017148
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 22017148.
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 Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for unspecified bipolar disorder, unspecified trauma & stressor related disorder and opioid use disorder has been dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during the pendency of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the issues of major depressive disorder and unspecified bipolar disorder and alcohol use (claimed as PTSD).
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes unspecified bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder with stimulant use disorder. The decision is based on a finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset in service.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of March 11, 2013, for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder based on new and material evidence constructively received within one year of the initial denial.
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