Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for anxiety disorder and hypertension, as well as the claims to reopen those claims. The veteran's mental health issues were not shown during or within one year after his military service.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss. The disability rating has been granted at 30 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hepatitis C, a back disorder, chronic liver disease, depression, tension and anxiety, chronic headaches, and nervous system damage. The decision also addressed his claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the appellant did not have residuals of a head injury or an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, as there was no evidence of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied service connection for this condition. The claim for an anxiety disorder is pending.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his generalized anxiety disorder, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for nerve damage, left ulnar neuropathy, anxiety, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, type II, as these conditions are not shown to be related to the veteran's active service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for increased evaluation of his service-connected discogenic disease of L5-S1 with lumbar strain was granted, and he is currently receiving a 20% evaluation since November 27, 2007. The issue regarding the psychiatric disorder has been reopened, but no new evidence has been provided to support reopening the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service records and providing a VA examination to determine if any current psychiatric disorders are related to service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance and/or housebound status is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for anxiety disorder.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD with anxiety disorder. The rating for PTSD with anxiety disorder was also denied, as there is no showing of occupational and social impairment warranting higher ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, residuals of a head injury, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and a sleep disorder. The evidence did not support the presence of these conditions during or as a result of his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination and additional attempts to obtain pre-service treatment records. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for anxiety disorder and denied his application to reopen a previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a neck condition. The appeal is not about service connection at all, as it pertains to increased disability ratings.

The Board found no evidence that the veteran's death was caused by VA treatment or negligence, and thus denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied his eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) due to lack of a permanent total service-connected disability at the time of his death.