Anxiety decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for anxiety disorder and reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, both effective from December 3, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death before a decision was made by the Board.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected PTSD was granted, with a rating of 70 percent effective from August 27, 2007 to November 1, 2013. The claim for TDIU by reason of service-connected PTSD is also granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and cold injury residuals have been granted. The claim for chronic fatigue was denied.

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 development of his medical records.

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The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder, PTSD, and phobic disorder with anxiety are rated at 100 percent since April 14, 2007. He is also in receipt of a 100 percent rating for his service-connected psychiatric disabilities prior to June 14, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorder and whether it is related to service or microwave radiation exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include depression and anxiety disorder NOS, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran currently has a psychiatric disability that is shown by competent lay and medical evidence to be causally related to his military service, thus warranting service connection.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood from March 18, 2010, to March 29, 2015.

The Veteran's other specified trauma or stressor-related disorder, now rated as 50 percent disabling from April 23, 2013, forward, results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a 50 percent rating for his psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder) effective October 28, 2016. The effective date of the increased rating remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a missed VA examination. The Veteran's PTSD symptoms may have worsened since his last examination, so another examination is needed.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent since January 20, 2005. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating and denied claims for service connection for PTSD, depression NOS, anxiety disorder NOS, dysthymic disorder, prostate cancer, sleep apnea, or TDIU.

The Board has reinstated the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for anxiety reaction, effective July 1, 1975, after finding that there was clear and unmistakable error in a prior April 1975 rating decision.

The Veteran's current diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders were not incurred in or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran's claims were previously denied due to lack of a valid stressor, but new evidence was submitted that reopened the claim.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability. The case will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.