Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claim for service connection, but found insufficient evidence to establish PTSD. The veteran's anxiety symptoms are attributed to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, inclusive of PTSD, and for a low back disorder. The remaining claims requesting higher ratings for tension headaches and residuals of the fracture of the 5th metacarpal of his right hand were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected anxiety reaction and residuals of a cholecystectomy with cholangitis, both currently rated at 30 percent. The decision also noted that no new and material evidence had been received to reopen the hearing loss claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's depression and anxiety are related to his 1991 VA surgery for ASD, granting compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151. The claims for drug-induced lupus and impotence are denied as not well grounded.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflects his disability level.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including ulcers, tinea of the hands and feet, anxiety disorder, hypertension, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and hearing loss, are well-grounded. The right ear hearing impairment was incurred in service.

The Board found that the May 1996 rating decision did not involve clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 24, 1994 for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder. The claim for increased rating for prostatitis is remanded due to lack of recent VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety neurosis, with somatization and depressive features, warrants a 70 percent disability rating under both the old and new criteria for mental disorders. The effective date is not specified as it was granted in July 1996.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a generalized anxiety disorder secondary to his right elbow condition, finding no competent medical evidence linking the two.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple service-connected conditions have been denied. The RO found that the veteran's psychiatric disability, post traumatic anxiety reaction, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for the veteran's PTSD, which is the maximum schedular rating available under current VA regulations.

The Board finds that the veteran's anxiety disorder, while causing significant symptoms such as anxiety and depression, does not meet the criteria for a disability rating greater than 50 percent. The evidence shows moderate impairment but no severe impairment affecting employment or social functioning.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim is also considered well-grounded as there is credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors resulting in current diagnoses of PTSD and other psychiatric disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychoneurosis (anxiety disorder) and denied the remaining claims due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or Gulf War Syndrome.

The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the December 1972 rating decision which denied service connection for anxiety neurosis. The evidence did not show a psychosis or any other psychiatric disorder during service, nor could it be linked to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition related to his period of active duty. His current diagnosis is rule out Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood, which does not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of in-service stressor or nexus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically anxiety and sleep disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or post-service that could be linked to his current symptoms. The claim is not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an effective date prior to June 15, 1994 for a 30 percent evaluation for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder with anxiety reaction. The evidence did not show an increase in severity of the veteran's psychiatric disability within one year of the claim filed on that date.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for anxiety secondary to his service-connected skin disability (dermatitis) due to new evidence submitted in May 1998. However, the claim is not well-grounded as there is no separate disease entity of a psychoneurosis that can be aggravated by the dermatitis.

The VA determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent.