Anxiety decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted with a clear rationale.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 70 percent effective May 18, 2009.,A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability is granted effective May 18, 2009.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and stressor verification.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disabilities, including an adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, stress reaction disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a stomach disorder (to include gastritis).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records and conducting a VA examination to assess the Veteran's occupational/functional impairment due to his service-connected disabilities prior to September 5, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives and requires further examination and opinions from a cardiologist and/or neurologist.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, adjustment disorder, mood disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and alcohol abuse. The case is being sent back for further development to address whether any acquired psychiatric disorders are superimposed on personality disorders during service, and if there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the disabilities existed prior to service.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor based on his reported in-service experiences.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression and anxiety, as additional development is necessary.

The Veteran's chronic adjustment disorder with anxiety is granted a disability rating of 70 percent, effective July 9, 2015. The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms most closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of stressors and for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been granted for Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The Board has also remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance-induced mood disorder. The VA will need to obtain updated treatment records, clarify the nature of these conditions, and determine their relationship to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, and chronic anxiety, has been reopened. However, the Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain VA examination results and additional records related to the Veteran's in-service experiences and treatment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of several service-connected conditions, including recurrent leg and sleep disabilities. The Board also notes that the combined rating for all service-connected disabilities has not yet reached a level sufficient to warrant a TDIU.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, diagnosed as unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, were not rated higher than 50% prior to January 23, 2017. From January 23, 2017, the rating was denied.

The Veteran's Generalized Anxiety Disorder is found to be the result of his service-connected tinnitus, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability and for TDIU prior to January 15, 2019 due to new evidence. A more contemporaneous examination is needed to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for sinus disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and knee disabilities. The Board also directed further VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and foot conditions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder associated with epididymitis, right testicle are now rated at 100% effective January 17, 2014.