The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder is denied. The Board grants a rating of 70 percent for the acquired psychiatric disorder and grants a rating of 50 percent for headaches.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's symptoms, including depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks, chronic sleep impairment, and impaired impulse control, have caused occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board finds these symptoms warrant a 70 percent rating for the acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with Depressive Disorder Mixed Features, Alcohol Abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 2, 2024
- Citation
- 24005658
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 24005658.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol abuse was granted, and the Board determined that a 70 percent evaluation is warranted based on occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, alcohol abuse, and sleep disturbances were reduced from a 70 percent rating to a 50 percent rating effective September 1, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not show an improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work or in the overall frequency and severity of his symptomatology.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD symptoms, including suicidal ideation and depression, warrant a 100% disability rating effective August 12, 2020.
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