Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD, MDD, and GAD.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 29, 2005, for the award of service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder. The decision is based on new service department records received after the initial denial and found to be relevant to substantiate the Veteran's claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need to consider additional medical records from his Social Security Administration (SSA). The Board cannot proceed without these records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of May 16, 2008, for the award of service connection for PTSD is dismissed as a freestanding claim. The March 2009 rating decision became final due to the expiration of the appeal period and no request for CUE has been raised.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided prior to the October 2021 decision on appeal were inadequate, as they did not address the Veteran's credible in-service stressors or provide a clear opinion regarding the relationship between his current psychiatric conditions and service. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder is remanded due to procedural errors and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective November 16, 2018. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date.,The Veteran raised claims of CUE in rating decisions related to his service-connected disabilities and TDIU determination.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected status post total hysterectomy.,The decision also grants service connection for the low back disability on a direct basis.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for anxiety, PTSD, depression, and TBI as no new and relevant evidence was received since the November 2021 rating decision.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 100% disability rating for PTSD as it found that there was no material improvement in his condition, despite a proposed reduction to 50%. The evidence did not support reducing the rating.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder with unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The evidence does not show the level of impairment required for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected extensive abdominopelvic adhesive disease is found to be related to her FSAD, IBS, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. The claim for ovarian cancer secondary to the service-connected condition was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's mental health problems did not have onset in service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service. The claim was also denied for tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing it had its onset during service.,The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, attributing it to noise exposure during basic training.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding the issues of PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder, resulting in their dismissal.

The appeal for service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and anxiety with insomnia is dismissed. The proposed finding of incompetency is also dismissed. The claim for service connection for a chronic headache disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (persistent depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder) prevented them from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a recurrent left knee disability and an increased rating for unspecified anxiety disorder due to procedural issues.