The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported the grant of service connection for an anxiety disorder due to traumatic events experienced during service, but did not support a finding that the Veteran incurred a lower back disorder or had sufficient characteristic manifestations to identify a chronic disease entity involving his back. The benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine was applied in granting the anxiety disorder claim.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, substance abuse disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, lower back disorder, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25111098
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