Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,For his right knee patellofemoral syndrome, a 10 percent rating has been granted effective from July 9, 2013.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression is found to have been incurred in service, granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder is related to his military service. The appeal will be returned to the AOJ after this development.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, specifically recurrent major depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder, were incurred in service. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to his in-service symptoms.

The Board finds that the character of the Appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Appellant.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities and their relation to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, and therefore cannot establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and psychiatric disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including schizoaffective disorder (also claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder), was denied because he failed to report to the scheduled VA examination without good cause. As his claim had previously been disallowed in prior final decisions, it is now denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a link between his in-service stressors and current psychiatric disability, nor could it be presumed due to exposure to herbicides. For skin disorders, the issue remains pending as additional development is needed.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a service-connected PTSD, an acquired non-psychotic mental disorder other than PTSD (GAD), or a psychosis NOS. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service stressors for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and its complications, have met the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU since March 16, 2009. Competent evidence indicates that these conditions prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational background and work experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as a generalized anxiety disorder, started in service and is related to his military service. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have significantly impaired his ability to establish and maintain effective relationships, with occupational and social impairment. The Board has determined that a rating in excess of 50 percent is warranted for the period from February 27, 1973 to May 3, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for a hiatal hernia and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (variously diagnosed as a mood disorder, anxiety, depression, an adjustment disorder, and GAD) on the basis of secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the case to afford the Veteran a VA psychiatric examination and to obtain service mental health clinical records and service personnel records. The examiner is asked to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disability is causally related to the Veteran's service, including his diagnosis of passive dependency reaction in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not related to service and denied his claim. His chronic kidney disorder is linked to pre-service injury, familial predisposition, and post-service abuse of anabolic steroids and creatine supplements.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder related to service, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule her for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her hypertension, stroke (transient ischemic attack), and acquired psychiatric disorder.