The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had a diagnosed psychological condition during military service, specifically an adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which resolved after he was discharged from active duty and continued to be treated at VA facilities post-service. This condition contributed substantially or materially to his suicide in August 2020.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder with depressed mood
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26039432
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 A26039432.
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.
- Granted
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood is denied, and the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected back disability is found to be the cause of his current psychiatric condition, adjustment disorder with depressed mood. Service connection for this condition is granted.
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