Anxiety decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), finding that the Veteran's reported in-service incidents were consistent with his military duties and resulted in current diagnoses of PTSD and GAD.

The Board granted service connection for a mental health condition, to include adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back injury, and bilateral knee disabilities, also as secondary to the service-connected back injury.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's right ear hearing loss and an increased rating for his anxiety disorder, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation effective May 13, 2023.

The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for asthma and unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression and anxiety, based on the evidence showing that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's condition began in service.

The Board remands the matter for further development, specifically to obtain relevant VA and Vet Center medical records.

The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, to include coronary artery disease (CAD), as secondary to the Veteran's anxiety and assigned a 70 percent rating from April 29, 2025. The Board also granted an initial 30 percent rating prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder and left upper extremity neurological disability, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation and no nexus to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied an increased rating higher than 70 percent for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran was granted a rating of total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based upon service-connected disorders effective July 20, 2022, and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. chapter 35 for the same effective date.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and updated VA treatment records.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU, DEA benefits, and a finding of TDIU based solely on generalized anxiety disorder.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent evaluation for the service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with adjustment disorder, as the evidence established occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.