Anxiety decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and processing claims related to service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as schizophrenia with paranoid features, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, is not related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, attributing it to the veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction. The case is being remanded for further medical opinion regarding the relationship between the service-connected anxiety reaction and the cardiopulmonary arrest that caused the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that there was no evidence showing a service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.

The veteran's case is being remanded due to his inability to attend a scheduled video hearing. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected fracture, 5th digit, right hand; service connection for obstructive sleep apnea; and service connection for an anxiety disorder are pending.

The Board is considering service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorder, but needs additional evidence to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions. The veteran served in Vietnam and was exposed to combat situations.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and MAC, finding that the veteran's current generalized anxiety disorder is related to his period of service. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder (PTSD) was not granted.

The Board found that the appellant does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression and/or anxiety, that is attributable to military service. The appellant's diagnosed depression constitutes a secondary disability resulting from primary alcohol and drug abuse.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and nervousness.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus denied his claim for a TDIU.

The veteran's service records show he was diagnosed with anxiety and nervous disorders during his military service. The Board has ordered a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's VA hospitalization from March 17, 1999 to April 13, 1999 was for treatment of his service-connected psychiatric disabilities of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depressive Disorder. The claim is granted as the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether this hospitalization qualifies for a temporary total evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for major depression and generalized anxiety disorder is granted, with the effective date set at September 21, 1999.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional evidence from Social Security Administration (SSA) and provide proper VCAA notice.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU prior to April 20, 1999 and thus denied an earlier effective date.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder did not cause or contribute to his death from sepsis due to intestinal obstruction. The VA examiner concluded that the service-connected anxiety disorder was not a contributing factor to the cause of death.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the current severity of the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder and its etiology, including whether it is related to service or pre-existed service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of nexus opinion and improper notice, requiring further development.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for DIC based on post-traumatic stress disorder and for accrued benefits due to service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision found that there was no diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the veteran's death, and that his depression and anxiety were not related to his active service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a psychiatric examination to determine the appropriate diagnosis and severity of any current psychiatric symptoms. The veteran's claim for service connection for a cognitive disorder is also being considered.