Anxiety decisions — 2011

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is found to be incurred in service, while the cervical spine disability and bilateral shoulder disability are not related to service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder has been manifested by some occupational and social impairment, but not total occupational and social impairment. The current rating of 50% is appropriate.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine his eligibility for automobile and adaptive equipment based on his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA physician to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder contributed substantially or materially to his death from coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, is found to be related to his military service. His bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to service. The Veteran's tinea pedis and tinea cruris are granted a 30 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is likely due to events during his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected based on his reported stressors during service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression NOS and anxiety disorder remains pending as it was not adjudicated in this decision.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with anxiety. The Board finds the duty to assist has not been met and remands the case for a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no evidence of an exceptional pattern of hearing loss.,There is no current diagnosis or history of a headache disorder in the claims file. The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the stressors claimed during his military service in Vietnam. The VA will attempt to verify these stressors and determine if they are related to his current psychiatric conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with chronic anxiety and depression, is related to a personal assault he experienced during service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent evaluation, effective October 8, 2002. The Board also found that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a head scar, residual of a traumatic head injury in November 2003. The Veteran has submitted new evidence that does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety with insomnia, major depression with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia, undifferentiated type, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and neuropsychological evaluation.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to earlier effective dates for the grants of a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, anxiety reaction; TDIU; and eligibility to Dependents Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35 based on CUE have been dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder, NOS. The decision finds that there is at least a 50% probability that his current anxiety disorder is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder, not otherwise specified, with anxiety, finding that the Veteran's psychiatric disability is related to his service-connected duodenal ulcer and stress experienced in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left lower extremity disability due to service, but his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine warrants an initial rating of 20 percent. The anxiety disorder is rated as 30 percent disabling.