Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for anxiety and a low back disability due to an error in providing notice of the right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board has granted DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, which substantially contributed to his suicide.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of November 6, 2017, for a 100% rating for service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Disorder is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurobehavioral disorder is being remanded due to an error in the initial rating decision. The Board finds that the RO should have addressed whether his adjustment disorder and anxiety with alcohol use disorder were present when he initially filed for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and persistent depressive disorder are rated at 100 percent effective December 9, 2022, due to total occupational and social impairment caused by persistent suicidal ideation.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 11, 2005 for the grant of service connection for PTSD due to evidence that raised an informal claim for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety is found to be causally related to her service-connected disabilities, and thus she is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for depression is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD, depression, and anxiety are granted as service-connected. The Board found that the in-service stressors were credible and linked to current symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for specific phobia with generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is due to his in-service events and assigning substantial probative weight to the opinions of the VA examiner.

The Veteran was hospitalized for in-patient treatment of his service-connected unspecified depressive and anxiety disorders with alcohol use disorder for a period exceeding 21 days, from May 16, 2022 to June 15, 2022. The Board granted a temporary total evaluation based on this.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, specifically mental health treatment records from Thompson's Family Psychiatric Care.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 50% rating for unspecified anxiety disorder was granted, with the effective date set at July 30, 2018. The Board found that the evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's UAD manifested symptoms more nearly approximating occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity on July 30, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence on file regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The VA must provide a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder is granted a 50 percent rating, effective October 27, 2021. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied in September 2008, but new and material evidence from VA treatment records received within one year of the decision has been added to her claims file. The Board finds this evidence is material as it relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate her claim - her psychiatric symptoms during service.,The Veteran's effective date for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder is set at October 23, 2007, the day after she separated from active duty. The Board found that new and material evidence was submitted within one year of the September 2008 denial.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased evaluations of left and right hallux valgus with hammer toe, as well as generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is granted as secondary to service-connected brain surgery due to subdural hematoma and tension headaches associated with tinnitus. The left hip disability remains under review.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was not productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity throughout the appeal period, resulting in a denial of an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.