Anxiety decisions — 2025

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support total occupational and social impairment.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a TDIU due to improper concurrent election of review options, and denied service connection for COPD as there is no current diagnosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's attempts to appeal a rating decision from September 13, 2022, that denied higher ratings for other specified anxiety disorder and sinusitis due to untimeliness of the appeals.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder, finding it to be due to the circumstances of his military service.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from November 22, 2006 to November 1, 2016 and SMC at the (l) rate based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected anxiety disorder/cognitive disorder from November 1, 2016.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to address whether the VA examiner adequately addressed the Veteran's reports of alcohol use during active service and the relationship between the current psychosis and an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's GERD to include gastric ulcer is granted a 20 percent rating, while other claims for service connection and an initial compensable rating for sinusitis are denied.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety disorder, based on the evidence of record.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent disability rating for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder with anxiety, depressed mood, and alcohol use disorder.

The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, an unspecified anxiety disorder, and a right arm disability due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a new medical opinion, as the previous VA examination and private report were found inadequate.

The Board granted service connection for anxiety disorder, finding the evidence to be evenly balanced and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for tinnitus, service connection for anxiety, lower back pain, and sciatic nerve pain in both lower extremities.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and a disability rating of 30 percent for migraine headaches.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 100 percent disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder to include major depressive disorder, finding that it was not factually ascertainable based on all evidence of record that an increase in disability had occurred within one year prior to August 12, 2021.

The Board remands the case for further development, specifically to address the Veteran's capacity to engage in conversation due to his service-connected hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for an anxiety disorder as secondary to tinnitus and denied the claims for service connection for TBI, sinusitis, higher ratings for left CTS, left inguinal hernia, and a scar associated with left inguinal hernia. The decision also remanded several other conditions for further development.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension, but granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc disease (IVDS).

The Board denied an evaluation greater than 30 percent for the Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and alcohol use disorder prior to August 10, 2023, but granted a 70 percent rating from that date for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.