Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder and anxiety, finding that the Veteran's current mental health conditions are related to his in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to hypertension is denied. The claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are all remanded.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder, finding that his symptoms most closely approximate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety, and other specified trauma related disorder, is granted as service connected. The claim for fibromyalgia remains pending due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for hernia, psychiatric disability (anxiety and depression), low back condition, head injury residuals, migraine headaches, left knee condition, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,An effective date earlier than January 10, 2017, is denied for tinnitus.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, back pain, sleep problems/sleep apnea, and left shoulder pain are all found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression is being remanded due to the receipt of new evidence. The Board finds that this evidence relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the underlying claims.

The Board has granted service connection for psoriatic arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral hands, knees, wrists, feet, and ankles, as well as an acquired psychiatric disability secondary to service-connected psoriasis. The appeal for higher ratings for psoriasis was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The case is now remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression was withdrawn. A 50 percent rating is granted for the mental health disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a higher initial rating for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, a compensable disability rating for bilateral lower extremity scars, and TDIU have all been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, Type II; an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and insomnia); alopecia; tension headaches; and hypertension due to deficiencies in VA's duty to assist and inadequate examinations.

The Veteran is granted SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(2) for a higher level of aid and attendance effective June 24, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, has been reopened. The case is remanded due to the need for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently diagnosed disorders.

The Veteran's appeal for high blood pressure was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to promulgation of a decision. The appeals for sleep apnea, respiratory disability, psychiatric disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, back disability, and shin splints are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including diagnoses of major depressive disorder, depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizoaffective disorder and anxiety. The appeal was reopened based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings has been withdrawn and dismissed. The issues of unspecified anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, IVDS (neck), lumbar spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic radulopathy, and right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy remain on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his psychiatric and left wrist disabilities, as well as a new VA examination for his cervical spine condition. The claims are also remanded for further development related to stressor verification.