Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder and service connection for pancreatitis due to insufficient development of the record.

The Veteran's service-connected TBI is found to cause his obstructive sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and bipolar disorders), migraines, tinnitus, and ED. Effective dates are granted for these conditions starting from October 5, 2016.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, effective December 10, 2019. The issues regarding left wrist, ankle, knee, elbow, neck, and back disabilities have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The decision is pending further review.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder and a right eye disorder because no valid Notice of Disagreement was submitted under either the legacy system or the new AMA system.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability was dismissed as a matter of law. The Board found that the October 2019 rating decision did not constitute a final decision by the agency and thus, the appeal must be dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, should be remanded due to a duty-to-assist error and insufficient medical examination.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including PTSD, MDD, GAD, and alcohol use disorder, did not result in total social and occupational impairment during the period on appeal. The VA determined that the Veteran’s symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and dysthymic disorder, due to military sexual trauma (MST) during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, and unspecified anxiety disorder. The Veteran's depression is found to be secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease (DDD) and associated radiculopathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being reviewed again.

The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service. Service connection was denied for PTSD due to lack of a diagnosed condition.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorder, specifically using the DSM-5. Pension benefits are denied as the Veteran is not permanently and totally disabled from nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety is proximately due to his service-connected tinnitus disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU was denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's anxiety disorder claim and TDIU claim need further development due to missing VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder. The Veteran's tachycardia is not considered a separate disability warranting service connection. The coronary artery disease with bypass grafting remains rated at 30 percent. Other issues are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected lung cancer residuals is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent disabling from February 16, 2010 to July 18, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete examinations and the need for additional medical records. The issues of service connection are being reviewed, as well as initial disability ratings.