Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of all psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and adjustment disorder. The Veteran's claim for service connection will be remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right leg varicose veins, generalized anxiety disorder (previously claimed as anxiety/depression), and lumbosacral strain with effective dates of June 29, 2020.

The Board has reviewed the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, but finds that new and relevant evidence has not been submitted to warrant readjudication.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not supported by the evidence.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial ratings for unspecified anxiety disorder and bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board finds that the most persuasive evidence does not support a higher rating than 30 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder or noncompensable for bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for migraines, right shoulder disability, left foot disability (pes planus), right foot disability (pes planus), and right knee disability are remanded. The appeal of service connection for sleep apnea is also remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, is related to his military service and has been granted service connection. The TDIU claim is also remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for mobility/balance issues is granted. The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder are rated at 50 percent, effective January 28, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied due to his failure to report for VA examinations without providing good cause.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and hearing loss, based on in-service noise exposure. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) has also been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist, including failure to verify the Veteran's reported stressors and obtain a VA examination. The case will be further developed to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The Veteran's STRs are unavailable, but he reported a stressful incident during service which may be related to his current mental health conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an anxiety disorder was granted with an effective date of February 26, 2019. The decision is based on the original claim submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for insomnia, anxiety, depression, hypertension, headaches, and bilateral shoulder pain have been denied. The Board found that the submitted evidence did not provide new and relevant information to support these claims.

The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claims for PTSD and mental health conditions has been granted. The Board is now remanding these claims due to insufficient evidence.,The right foot disability claim remains in a 'remanded' status.

The Board dismissed the appeal for eligibility to direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a February 2024 rating decision. The Veteran's claim for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder was granted with a 70% rating effective January 14, 2022.

The Board has remanded the cases for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration regarding TDIU and DEA benefits prior to September 22, 2009. The issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given the symptoms and impairment described. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, migraine headaches, hemorrhoids with anal fissures, TMJ dysfunction, and hypertension, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since September 3, 2013. Effective September 3, 2013, the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board has granted effective dates of January 28, 2016, and September 15, 1995 for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and bilateral plantar fasciitis respectively.