Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since October 2018. The Board granted a TDIU as of October 9, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service stressors and her current symptoms aligning with these diagnoses.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches as aggravated by their service-connected anxiety disorder, finding that there is at least equipoise of evidence in favor of this determination.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and military service. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if there is a link between his current diagnoses and his time in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GAD with depressive features is related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires additional development, including an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed psychiatric condition.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, mood disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and persistent depressive disorder due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding nexus with claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has granted service connection for anxiety and depression as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD, adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, and panic disorder. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being remanded for a new examination and opinion.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood for the period prior to December 10, 2020.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, radiculopathy affecting both lower extremities, bilateral plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, pseudo folliculitis, ankle disorders, shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, jock itch, adjustment disorder with anxiety, acid reflux, athlete's foot and toenail fungus, and epiphora. The Board found no current diagnoses for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected insomnia with unspecified anxiety disorder is rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his symptoms of occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection and a 70 percent rating for Anxiety Disorder NOS is denied. The AOJ has consistently characterized this issue as being about the effective date, but no specific SOC or SSOC has been issued to characterize it as such.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for service connection of anxiety, tinnitus, and a bilateral foot disability.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective from January 1, 2012, as his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied service connection for anxiety due to lack of a current psychiatric disability. The claims for neck and low back disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for service connection for anxiety, headaches, and sleep apnea due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Disorder, finding that obesity was an intermediate step between these conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, unspecified depressive disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, MDD, and SAD, are found to be related to his service, particularly exposure to burn pits and other toxins during active duty in Iraq.