Citation Nr: 21026868 Decision Date: 05/04/21 Archive Date: 05/04/21 DOCKET NO. 16-28 160 DATE: May 4, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from September 1988 to September 1989. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2014 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a hearing in November 2018. A transcript is of record. In a November 2019 decision, the Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran appealed the Board's 2019 decision to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court). The Court remanded the claim in an August 2020 Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). This appeal has been advanced on the Board's docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 20.900. 38 U.S.C. § 7107 (a)(2). 1. Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. In the August 2020 JMR, the parties stipulated that July 2019 VA opinion that was relied on, in part, for the denial of service connection, was inadequate. That JMR indicates the opinion was inadequate because it was based on an inaccurate factual premise - that the Veteran did not attempt to commit suicide in service. The parties agreed that a new opinion was warranted that properly addressed the Veteran's lay statements and service treatment records. Therefore, an addendum opinion is needed. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder(s) at least as likely as not onset in service or is related to service. The examiner is further advised that the August 2020 JMR indicates that the evidentiary record confirms a suicide attempt during service based on the January 1989 in-patient service treatment record records. The examiner should identify all diagnosed psychiatric disorder present at any time since November 2013 (the date the service connection claim was filed) and reconcile any conflicting historical psychiatric diagnoses in the medical record to the extent possible. A fully-explained rationale must be provided for the requested nexus opinion. In doing so, the examiner must review the claims file, to include: the service treatment records; psychiatric examination reports dated in August and September 2008 from Central Virginia Community Services which discuss the Veteran's childhood and pre-military history; VA mental health C&P examination reports dated in May 2016 and January 2019; the Veteran's various lay statements and hearing testimony; the January 2019 lay statement from F. Dickey describing behavioral changes observed in the Veteran after military service; and January 2021 private medical opinion by Dr. E.Z. that the Veteran submitted in support of the claim. D. JOHNSON Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board D. Lauritzen, Associate Counsel The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.