The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including depression and anxiety, is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a headache disability due to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability is also granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea due to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability is also granted.,Service connection for gastrointestinal disability (irritable bowel syndrome) due to exposure to environmental hazards during service is remanded for further development.,Individual unemployability is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, was found to be related to his service. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether his memory loss (claimed) is part of this diagnosed condition.,The Veteran's headache disability was also found to be related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was also found to be related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.,Further development is needed to determine the nature and extent of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, including exposure to environmental hazards during service. The VA etiology opinion provided did not adequately support its conclusions.,Individual unemployability will need further consideration.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disability, headache disability, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disability (irritable bowel syndrome), chronic fatigue disability, poor circulation, nerve condition, bilateral blurred vision, fibromyalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23015645
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 23015645.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims regarding entitlement to service connection for a headache disability and entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 29, 2014, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for right tibiofibular ligament strain are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
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