The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression) because there is no credible, competent evidence of a DSM-5 mental disorder diagnosis prior to the closure of the evidentiary record for this appeal.
The deciding factor: There was no current disability diagnosed under DSM-5 criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24029559
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 A24029559.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depression, is denied. The Board finds no evidence of a diagnosed mental health disability during active or inactive service and thus cannot establish service connection. Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to the inadequacy of the March 2021 VA examination opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left knee condition, and a left hip condition. The evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the issues of service connection for a cervical spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression) due to the April 2021 rating decision not adjudicating these claims, and subsequent grant by a June 2021 rating decision. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis of a mental disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression secondary to service-connected tinnitus is being remanded due to the AOJ relying almost solely on the VA examination, which was criticized for not considering the veracity of the notations in the Veteran's Santa Rosa Counseling records. A new VA examination and opinion are required.
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