Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood from March 18, 2010, to March 29, 2015.

The Veteran's other specified trauma or stressor-related disorder, now rated as 50 percent disabling from April 23, 2013, forward, results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a 50 percent rating for his psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder) effective October 28, 2016. The effective date of the increased rating remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a missed VA examination. The Veteran's PTSD symptoms may have worsened since his last examination, so another examination is needed.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent since January 20, 2005. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating and denied claims for service connection for PTSD, depression NOS, anxiety disorder NOS, dysthymic disorder, prostate cancer, sleep apnea, or TDIU.

The Board has reinstated the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for anxiety reaction, effective July 1, 1975, after finding that there was clear and unmistakable error in a prior April 1975 rating decision.

The Veteran's current diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders were not incurred in or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran's claims were previously denied due to lack of a valid stressor, but new evidence was submitted that reopened the claim.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability. The case will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is granted as it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with mild anxiety and PTSD, is currently rated at 30 percent. This rating reflects the severity of his symptoms which include difficulty sleeping, nightmares, estrangement, and depression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, will be remanded as it requires further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service stressors and grants service connection for this condition. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between any psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and verification of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his dysthymic disorder with anxiety and depressive disorder, do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his educational and occupational background. However, as of April 6, 2012, no single service-connected disability renders him unemployable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to address the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, are not related to his active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, a psychiatric disability (including depressive disorder and anxiety), and ischemic heart disease as these conditions are not shown to be related to his active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities and their relationship to service-connected IBS.