Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and remanded his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability was rated at 30 percent prior to April 1, 2016 and upgraded to 50 percent from April 1, 2016 to September 23, 2019. Beginning September 23, 2019, the rating was increased to 100 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence of a verified in-service stressor for PTSD, but has found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of depressive disorder and anxiety are related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating of adjustment disorder with anxiety, so the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to September 10, 2010, for the grant of service connection for anxiety disorder and PTSD. The decision found that the claim was not based on a new and material evidence but rather on the submission of existing records.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and anxiety disorder and depressive disorder have been granted.,The Veteran's claim of a compensable disability rating for right hip strain has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding service connection for panic disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders, and personality disorder.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's bowel condition, anxiety disorder, or right hip condition are related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, currently diagnosed as unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, is granted service connection. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of in-service sexual assault leading to current mental health conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including a depressive disorder and an anxiety disorder, are found to be as likely as not related to his active duty service. The Board granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for increased ratings for left knee patella femoral syndrome and chronic left ankle sprain have been denied. The Veteran was found not to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or social phobia at any time during the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete documentation in the Veteran's claims file.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood disability was granted a 10 percent rating from July 30, 2015 to February 16, 2016, and a 50 percent rating from February 17, 2016 to present.,The Veteran's traumatic brain injury (TBI) disability was granted a 10 percent rating from April 23, 2015 to April 29, 2016.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a respiratory disability (COPD). Service connection is now established for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and anxiety), urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, is related to an in-service assault. Service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disability due to his failure to cooperate and report for a necessary VA examination. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, anxiety, and bipolar disorder) was also denied because there is no evidence of current diagnoses within the appellate period.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected adjustment disorder and degenerative disc disease. The evidence shows that the Veteran's weight gain, which is related to his service-connected conditions, caused his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and severe depression was reopened, and the appeal is granted. The case is remanded to obtain verification of stressors and conduct a VA examination.