Bipolar disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence, including SSA records and service treatment records. The Veteran's claims for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and any other acquired psychiatric disorders are being reopened.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder. The decision is based on the need for further examination and review of VA treatment records from before 1998.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and PTSD, is granted as service connected. Bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, and benign essential hypertension are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service, specifically his reported MST and in-service water event. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine if these events caused any of his diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's son, R.R.J., was recognized as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching the age of 18 years. The evidence showed that R.R.J. had significant disabilities including mental retardation and psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disability, claimed as major depression and bipolar disorder. The Veteran was diagnosed with these conditions during the appeal period.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of bipolar disorder and has determined that there is a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The evidence shows that the Veteran had symptoms of bipolar disorder during military service, which may have been related to his condition.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The Board denied a higher disability evaluation for the condition.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's bipolar disorder was not related to his active service and there is no evidence of a qualifying psychosis.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder claim is remanded for obtaining complete medical records and the total disability rating due to service-connected conditions claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records, particularly from correctional facilities and inpatient treatment at a military hospital in Germany. The Veteran's mental health conditions are being investigated further.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and notification for a claim based on military sexual trauma.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that these conditions arose in service or were related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current psychiatric conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder due to insufficient information regarding his service stressors. The case will be reviewed with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of all current psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen his service connection claim for tinnitus was denied. His claim for a compensable rating for tension headaches is also denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for psychiatric disabilities and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder has resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not total occupational and social impairment. The Board denied a higher initial rating of 100 percent for the disability.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and chronic depression, are granted. Service connection is denied for OCD, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for antisocial personality disorder is granted, and the effective date of his service connection for schizoaffective disorder bipolar disorder is set at October 31, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 70 percent for bipolar disorder with PTSD was denied. The restoration of the 70 percent rating from 50 percent is granted.