Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability was granted with an effective date of October 24, 2016. The RO assigned a 30 percent rating and remanded the issues of rating in excess of 30 percent prior to September 1, 2021; special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria (SMC housebound) prior to September 1, 2021; Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) prior to September 1, 2021; and total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to September 1, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for their acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and requests that the AOJ attempt to locate and associate any outstanding enlistment examination records with the Veteran's file.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected GAD is being remanded due to the lack of a recent VA examination addressing the frequency, severity, and duration of his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), plantar fasciitis left lower extremity, plantar fasciitis right lower extremity, and left shoulder disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right hand disability, low back disability, and psychiatric disability are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board has found that the VA examination provided in June 2023 was inadequate and remanded for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment is dismissed as moot because it has already been granted. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hair loss due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and in-service stressors.

The Veteran's entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected PTSD is granted, with the highest possible rating of 70 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include anxiety.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lower lumbar spine and generalized anxiety disorder, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, is granted as service-connected. The claims for unspecified depressive disorder, PTSD, lumbosacral strain, sciatica (secondary to lumbosacral strain), and hiatal hernia are remanded.

The Board denied an effective date prior to March 11, 2020 for the grant of service connection for PTSD with mild depressive and anxiety disorder due to a lack of evidence showing entitlement arose before that date.

The Board denied an earlier effective date prior to June 1, 2016, for the increased 70 percent evaluation assigned to the service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty training.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and thus grants service connection for OSA secondary to GAD.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death and potential exposure to toxic substances during service.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for a higher initial disability rating of 50 percent for service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder (also claimed as insomnia). The appeal is dismissed.