Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, leaving no issues to be decided by the Board.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 6, 2019 for the grant of TDIU due to insufficient evidence showing he was unemployable by reason of his service-connected MDD and GAD from that period.

The Board remands the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to correct a duty to assist error, as the March 2021 medical opinion does not provide an adequate rationale regarding whether any current acquired psychiatric disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, an adequate VA examination of his adjustment disorder, and a review of all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for spinal stenosis (claimed as back pain), and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, asthma, GERD, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis as there is no probative evidence of current disabilities at any time proximate to or during the appeal period.

The Veteran's asthma has been granted service connection due to presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in the Gulf War. The Veteran's tinnitus was denied as not shown in service or within one year of discharge, and not otherwise etiologically related.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to a lack of an examination. Service connection for a psychiatric disability (to include PTSD, Anxiety) and erectile dysfunction are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression, due to a duty-to-assist error in scheduling a mental health examination.

The Board has granted service connection for other specified anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's in-service shooting of a prisoner was likely the cause of his current condition.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU based on a single service-connected disability was denied as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate that he is unemployable due solely to his GAD with cognitive disorder and TBI.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for any acquired psychiatric disorder, including delusional disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. The VA examiner is requested to provide a new opinion considering the Veteran's lay statements and in-service reports.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's non-VA ambulance services provided on December 13, 2023 are eligible for payment under 38 U.S.C. § 1728 due to a medical emergency and because the VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, and needs a new VA examination to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and duty-to-assist errors. The issues include bullous disorder/hypertrophic keloid scars, left knee septic condition as secondary to bullous disorder/hypertrophic keloid scars, acquired psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, arthritis of the lower extremities, degenerative disc disease of the low back, and jaw/speech impairment.

The Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and anxiety disorder were granted with effective dates of June 26, 2020.,An earlier effective date request for the 70% evaluation for unspecified anxiety disorder was denied.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran was denied entitlement to TDIU as his service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Erectile Dysfunction, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or an in-service injury, event, or illness related to these conditions. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a secondary service connection for Erectile Dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in verifying the Veteran's service with the Marine Corps Reserve and requesting associated medical records.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder and hypertension have been granted with ratings of 50 percent each, effective as of the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety is granted as it is secondary to his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The claim for service connection for somatic symptom disorder is denied due to lack of evidence of a diagnosis.