Anxiety decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD with anxiety and depression, has been rated at 50 percent since the initial grant of service connection. The claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD was present at the time he filed his claim in February 1994, and thus an effective date of February 10, 1994 for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including verification of claimed stressor events and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination of his service-connected anxiety disorder, NOS.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and MDD. The evidence received since the December 1974 denial includes VA treatment records noting diagnoses of MDD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder, as well as statements from the Veteran asserting that these diagnoses were predicated on in-service trauma.

The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities other than PTSD are found to be due to substance abuse and not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to substitution of the appellant for the Veteran and accrued benefits for PTSD. The cause of death claim will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD claim was denied, while his anxiety disorder NOS claim resulted in a mixed decision with some issues granted and others not. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disability is related to service and whether it was first manifested prior to service. The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD will be reconsidered.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking a rating in excess of 50 percent for anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified (mixed anxiety depressive disorder).

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder and dysthymic disorder manifested in disability amounting to reduced reliability and productivity, but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD was present at the time he filed his claim in February 1994, and thus an effective date of February 10, 1994 for service connection is granted.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), and depressive disorder. The evidence received since the March 2008 decision supports a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for additional treatment records and a new VA examination.

The Board denied an effective date prior to April 19, 2011 for the award of service connection for generalized anxiety disorder. The claim for tinea cruris was previously denied in a June 1995 rating decision and reopened based on new evidence submitted since then.

The Board has expanded the service connection claim for PTSD as reflected on the title page of this decision to include consideration of service connection for other possible psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety disorder. The case is being remanded for additional development including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a new VA mental health examination.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including Anxiety Disorder, NOS with subclinical features of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety, and Depressive Disorder, NOS, is found to be service-connected. The Board also finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses for his back, wrists, and shoulders conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and associated depression and anxiety, are etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including an examination and review of his medical records to determine if a higher rating for anxiety can be granted.