Anxiety decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C has been reopened and is being reviewed on the merits.,The skin disorder claim related to Agent Orange exposure remains pending, as new evidence was submitted but does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,The psychiatric disorder claim is being addressed in a separate remand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left knee disability as secondary to right knee disability, and low back disability as secondary to right knee disability due to his character of discharge from service.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder was manifested by occasional symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety and worry, intermittent sleep disturbances, but did not meet the criteria for a higher initial disability rating of more than 30 percent from October 12, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain updated VA treatment records and lay statements, as well as a new VA examination to clarify the nature of her psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a more contemporaneous VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression (claimed as a personality disorder), is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The RO must consider this additional evidence in readjudicating the claim.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to address the current nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. The TDIU claim will be deferred until this development is completed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any current psychiatric disability is related to service. The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression.

The Board found that neither the Veteran's depression nor his anxiety had onset during active service and were not otherwise related to active service, including as secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues regarding service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, which may be related to pre-existing conditions or new evidence. The Veteran's claim is being reviewed in light of potential reopening on new evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are not related to his military service and denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current symptoms and whether they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a review of the Veteran's file and an examination to determine if any current psychiatric disorder is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is found to have its onset in service and granted service connection. Service connection for indigestion, as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder, is also granted.

The Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and anxiety/depression, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The in-service stressors are not corroborated.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD in May 2010, finding that the correct facts were not before them and that they correctly applied the relevant laws and regulations. The Veteran's motion for revision of this decision was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar strain with degenerative changes.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and an anxiety disorder, NOS with generalized and depressive features. The Veteran's hearing loss was not found to be incurred in or aggravated by active military service due to lack of evidence showing noise exposure during service. For the anxiety disorder, there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that it pre-existed service, but a VA examination concluded that any current diagnosis likely arose prior to service.

The Board has determined that the appellant did not serve in Vietnam and there is no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents such as Agent Orange. The Board also found that his claimed conditions were not present during service or for many years thereafter, and are not related to his active service.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism has been rated at 10 percent since October 2007, and his adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was granted a 30 percent rating effective June 15, 2006. The decision is mixed as it grants part of the claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypothyroidism but denies service connection for the adjustment disorder.