Bipolar disorder decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bipolar disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not secondary to a service-connected back disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired mental disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic features. The new evidence received since the last denial supports reopening of this claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA mental health examination to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is related to service. The Veteran's accounts of in-service emotional abuse and exposure to combat are also to be considered.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his active military service. The claim for PTSD and low back disorder is dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and a need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bipolar disorder was incurred during his period of active duty service from April 2005 to May 2005, and granted service connection for this condition on a direct basis.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and PTSD, has been rated at 70 percent since June 18, 2014. The Board also granted entitlement to TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to ensure compliance with the directives and provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and requesting an addendum to the August 2015 VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, systemic arthritis, bipolar disorder, leprosy, and diverticulitis. The appeals were based on direct evidence of a relationship to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as bipolar disorder, was determined to have its onset during his military service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has expanded the claim to include service connection for any acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability is not otherwise related to his active service, including a December 2006 ATV accident.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD has been denied as there is no current medical diagnosis of PTSD and the Board finds that the Veteran did not meet the DSM criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and depression. The evidence is at least in equipoise to support a causal link between her military sexual trauma and current PTSD symptoms. However, there is no established link between her in-service depressive episode and her current diagnosis of depression.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and has determined that new evidence supports a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate development of his claim for a total disability rating by reason of individual unemployability (TDIU). The AOJ must ensure that the Veteran undergoes an adequate VA examination and obtain an opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, epicondylitis of the right elbow, and low back disability, preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, major depression, and bipolar disorder, which are found to be aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The issue of service connection for hypertension is being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DJD of the lumbar spine is related to his service-connected disabilities, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was not addressed due to a lack of adjudication on chronic pain syndrome.