The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including MDD, MDD with psychotic features, anxiety, cyclothymia, delusional disorder, unspecified personality disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The decision concluded that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty or to his service-connected sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's claims for direct and secondary service connection lacking due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of his current psychiatric disorders and the lack of a nexus between his in-service depression and his current condition, as well as the failure to report for VA examinations without good cause.
- Claimed conditions
- MDD, MDD with psychotic features, anxiety, cyclothymia, delusional disorder, unspecified personality disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 22, 2023
- Citation
- 23052672
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 23052672.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that new and relevant evidence supports these claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent, indicating significant impairment in work and social functioning.
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