Anxiety Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is found to have caused or contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's combined rating of 80% for service-connected disabilities is not sufficient to warrant a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of a generalized anxiety disorder, which was previously denied in 1990. The decision will now proceed with an examination to determine if this condition is related to his active military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected anxiety disorder is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to differentiate symptoms related to his service-connected condition from those related to any nonservice-connected psychiatric conditions.

The veteran is found to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, but not permanently housebound. He is therefore granted special monthly compensation on account of a need for regular aid and attendance.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation by reason of the need for aid and attendance is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his service-connected psychiatric disability alone renders him in need of regular aid and attendance. The VA will provide additional development as requested.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including an eating disorder and anxiety disorder, is related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder is being remanded due to an administrative error in the effective date of the rating increase.

The VA has determined that the veteran's anxiety disorder with panic disorder warrants a 70 percent disability rating, effective October 2001.

The veteran's claims for service connection for substance abuse as secondary to his service-connected anxiety reaction with PTSD, and for increased ratings for anxiety reaction with PTSD have been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to a combined service-connected disability rating of 80 percent due to hypertension as secondary to asthma. The ratings for his other service-connected conditions (asthma, allergic rhinitis with chronic sinusitis, and anxiety-neurosis with depression) were also upheld.

The VA has granted a 10 percent disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder, effective from April 28, 2003.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The June 1955 rating decision incorrectly did not separately rate the veteran's anxiety reaction and failed to assign a compensable disability rating. The Board found that these decisions were clearly erroneous.

The Board has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder warrants a disability rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of VA treatment records showing increased symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board is remanding the case for a DRO hearing on the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The veteran's claim regarding whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral defective hearing will also be remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary in the current appeal, including obtaining service medical records and determining whether new evidence supports reopening a claim of anxiety disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for bronchitis, depression with anxiety, PTSD, and a laceration on the forehead as these conditions are not related to military service.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and development.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected neurocirculatory asthenia, but the case needs further development to determine if other conditions are related to his service connection.