Anxiety decisions — 2012

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood and anxiety is found to be caused by his service-connected hepatitis C, thus granting service connection for the psychiatric condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected prostatitis and his March 2008 diagnoses of depression and anxiety. The cause of death is being addressed by another examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently carry a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, depression and anxiety, as well as secondary service connection for alcohol abuse (as a result of PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnoses are based on in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, not including PTSD, is currently under review.

The Board finds that the Veteran has a current acquired psychiatric disability, identified as depressive disorder NOS and generalized anxiety disorder, which is due to his military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS with panic attacks and alcohol abuse, has been granted service connection. However, the RO assigned a 30 percent rating which is now increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder with depression, and panic attacks, is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and material evidence was not provided to reopen any previously denied claims.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are most closely approximated by the criteria for a 50 percent evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including gathering of VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if any current mental health disorder was incurred in or as a result of active duty service.

The Board found no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor related to being falsely accused of rape, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for any psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain VA treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pulmonic stenosis with anxiety reaction was denied as there is no evidence of current pulmonary stenosis, and the Board found that his symptoms are better explained by other conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and a generalized anxiety disorder. The evidence now submitted raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining treatment records and clarifying whether the Veteran applied for Social Security disability benefits. A VA psychiatric examination is also required to determine the nature and extent of any PTSD, anxiety disorder other than PTSD, mood disorder, and adjustment disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, as a non-service connected disability causes his employment limitations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Major Depressive Disorder with anxiety, lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease, and left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's anxiety disorder NOS and borderline personality disorder were not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for anxiety disorder and depressed mood disorder, finding that the evidence is sufficient to establish a link between current symptoms and in-service stressors. The claim for PTSD was also reopened due to new evidence provided by the Veteran.