The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include somatic symptom disorder, as it was not shown that the Veteran has been diagnosed with such a condition.
The deciding factor: The probative evidence did not show a current diagnosis of a psychiatric disability and the VA examiner found no clinically significant symptoms to fulfill DSM-5 criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- psychiatric disability, to include somatic symptom disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24066001
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 remands the claim for a psychiatric disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the presumption of soundness at entrance into service.
- Denied
The Board denied higher initial disability ratings for the service-connected psychiatric disability and denied earlier effective dates for TDIU, SMC at the schedular housebound rate, and DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for the Veteran's psychiatric disability and also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), but denied an earlier effective date for service connection.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 60 percent rating for prostate cancer with residuals, denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for tachycardia and an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, and granted service connection for a psychiatric disability.
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