Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for major depression with anxiety, finding that the veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for such a rating.

The VA denied service connection for an anxiety disorder other than PTSD and residuals of a back injury, finding that the veteran did not have these conditions in service or since.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA medical records and scheduling the veteran for an orthopedic examination to determine if his back disability began during service or is related to it.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation of 50 percent for the veteran's anxiety reaction, which is the maximum benefit allowed by law and regulation.

The veteran's claims for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during his hospitalization and outpatient visits are granted due to the emergent nature of his condition, which required immediate treatment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 14, 2000 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU at that time.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and Social Security Administration records, evaluating the veteran's psychiatric condition, and clarifying his representation.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, central retinal vein occlusion with macular edema and hypertensive retinopathy of the right eye as secondary to hypertension, and the degree of aggravation of an anxiety disorder attributable to a service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found no credible supporting evidence for the veteran's claimed in-service stressors, particularly regarding unloading caskets and seeing bodies from the Jonestown Massacre. As a result, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for generalized anxiety disorder was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and thus denied restoration of this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating during any of the periods under consideration.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of individual unemployability was granted, with the effective date set at June 11, 1998, based on her informal claim to reopen her previously denied service connection claim for a psychiatric disability.

The veteran's cause of death is being reviewed, and the Board has decided that additional medical records are needed to determine if his service-connected anxiety disorder contributed to his alcoholism and cardiovascular-renal disease.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for the veteran's depression and anxiety, associated with residuals of prostate cancer, finding that his symptoms are consistent with a moderate level of impairment.

The veteran's anxiety disorder and PTSD are found to be secondary to his service-connected eczematous dermatitis. The veteran does not have a diagnosed chronic intestinal disorder or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but the evidence supports that his tinea pedis is related to his service-connected condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for VCAA notification and additional development of evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his service, specifically the multiple attacks on his convoy and base in Vietnam. The evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD based on verified stressors.

The Board found that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is not severe enough to warrant a rating higher than 50 percent, and denied his claim for TDIU due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to work due to his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, as his symptoms do not warrant a higher evaluation based on occupational and social impairment.