Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his neck, back, and nerve conditions along with social anxiety disorder, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC), due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities related to service or functional impairment.

The Veteran's skin disability is related to service and granted. The claims for depression, anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, hemorrhoids, diverticular disability, erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, gall bladder disability, and hernia are denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for generalized anxiety disorder was denied, with the Board finding that her occupational and social impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine were denied by the Board. The Veteran was not granted any increase in rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from a day-hospital program attended in March 2022.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia, and personality disorder. The most probative evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, to schedule an additional VA examination.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a more adequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by verifying in-service stressors and obtaining a new medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition, lower left extremity sciatica, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety), erectile dysfunction, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or are otherwise related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various conditions are being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's migraines did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to April 26, 2022 due to infrequent prostrating attacks.,For the period beginning on April 26, 2022, the Veteran's migraines did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent as they did not meet the criteria for very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination related to the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorder. The examiner should determine if these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to March 4, 2018, for the award of service connection for PTSD and initial evaluations in excess of 50 percent prior to March 5, 2021, and in excess of 70 percent from March 5, 2021, for PTSD are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date was not addressed by the AOJ.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for PTSD and anxiety, thus the issue is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the VA examination was inadequate and another remand is necessary to address the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood as secondary to the Veteran's right pubic ramus fracture, and reopened the claim for a left hip fracture. The claims for service connection for a left hip and pelvis disability, an increased rating for the right pubic ramus fracture, and TDIU were remanded.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is being remanded to provide a VA examination.