The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder, was found to have manifested as no worse than occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, including work or a work-like setting, inability to establish and maintain effective relationships, suicidal ideation, intrusive memories, dissociative reactions (such as flashbacks), avoidance of reminders of trauma, irritability and angry outbursts, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated startle response. The Veteran's disability rating was denied for a higher than 70 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100% disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders due to his occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but no gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, persistent danger of hurting self or others, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene), disorientation to time or place, or memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation or own name.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24042303
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 A24042303.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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