Anxiety decisions — 2006

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder effective as of June 1, 2005, and denied any higher rating prior to that date.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, finding that it is proximately due or the result of his service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's anxiety disorder was incurred during his period of active duty for training in 1967, and is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining corroborating evidence of alleged stressful events in service and a psychiatric examination to determine if any current psychiatric disability began during service or is causally linked to such events.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction does not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder was rated at a 10 percent disability prior to February 26, 2003.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his generalized anxiety disorder and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The veteran's service-connected conditions, including his generalized anxiety disorder, do not alone prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability must be denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for the scheduled VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety disorder, including PTSD, was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of anxiety disorder and his claim alleging clear and unmistakable error in a July 1959 rating decision denying service connection for epilepsy or seizure disorder. The appeal is currently pending.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and evidence from Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Board found that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder did not result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. Therefore, a rating in excess of 50 percent for his condition was denied.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and an increased rating for anxiety neurosis. The veteran's headaches were not found to be related to his active military service, and the increase in disability rating for anxiety neurosis was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating during the periods in question.

The veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, but the Board finds that this evaluation does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The veteran's PTSD and depressive reaction with anxiety have resulted in total occupational and social impairment since April 19, 2002. The VA has granted a 100% evaluation for these conditions.

The Board is remanding the case to allow for additional development and consideration of whether the apportionment of VA compensation benefits granted on behalf of the veteran's children, in the custody of the Franklin County Department of Social Services (DSS), was proper.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing the veteran with an opportunity to provide detailed information regarding his service stressors.

The Board found that the veteran's sinusitis, hemorrhoids, essential hypertension and pulmonary hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,The Board also denied the claim for an earlier effective date for VA pension benefits.