Anxiety decisions — 2014

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder with depressive symptoms and sub-threshold PTSD symptoms. The appeal was reopened due to new evidence provided by the Veteran, which related to his experiences in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, are found to be related to his active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disabilities, including bipolar disorder, mood disorder not otherwise specified, and general anxiety disorder, are less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient development and need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of diabetes mellitus and psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected anxiety disorder is being remanded due to conflicting medical evidence and the need for a further VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused or hastened by a disability incurred in or aggravated by service, and granted service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was denied as there is no competent evidence linking any current psychiatric disability to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his psychiatric disorder, as well as assessing the severity of his service-connected sinusitis and migraines.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including additional examinations and opinions, to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for anxiety disorder and TDIU.

The Veteran developed additional disabilities (oscillopsia, vestibular disorder, and anxiety/mood disorders) as a result of VA treatment for endocarditis. These disabilities are considered proximately due to the VA care provided.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting opinions on the etiology of the appellant's psychiatric disorders and whether they are aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are not related to his military service and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD, is being remanded due to the need to verify in-service stressors. The AOJ must attempt to obtain information from official sources regarding the claimed stressor events.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and consideration of service connection for PTSD under 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(3) due to the Veteran's reported in-service stressful experiences involving fear of hostile military or terrorist activity.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with VA regulations, and his pre-existing anxiety disorder was not permanently aggravated during service. The evidence did not establish any current acquired psychiatric disorder related to his period of service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to assess the severity of his traumatic brain injury with history of anxiety, depression, and grand mal seizures. The TDIU issue remains inextricably intertwined with the rating increase claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of her PTSD, gastroenteritis, and TDIU claims. The case will be adjudicated again after these developments.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, personality disorder, and PTSD, were not related to his service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding in-service stressors and proper VCAA notice. The Veteran's address needs to be updated, and he must provide additional details about his claimed stressors.