The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder with insomnia disorder and alcohol use disorder, is granted as secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities. An initial 30 percent rating for migraines is also granted.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion supported the grant of service connection based on the Veteran's reported onset of depressive symptoms due to physical pain from back and knee conditions, which caused him significant distress and led to his alcohol use disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder, insomnia disorder, alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26009882
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 A26009882.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder with persistent depressive disorder, anxious distress, and pure dysthymic syndrome was granted. The appeal for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the issue has been rendered irrelevant by the grant of service connection in another appeal stream.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an insomnia disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
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