The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and other specified depressive disorder. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and right knee strain were also denied. Additionally, the claims for service connection for various radiculopathy conditions and chronic headaches were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record did not persuasively weigh in favor of finding that any of the claimed acquired psychiatric disorders or other disabilities had their onset during service or otherwise were caused by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder, Alcohol use disorder, Other specified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25052021
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and personality disorder, due to the need for further development of the record.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and other specified trauma and stressor disorder and alcohol use disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating higher than 70 percent for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
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