Bipolar disorder decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. The claims of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status are remanded.

Your claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed because you are already receiving a 100% schedular rating for your service-connected PTSD with bipolar disorder and have no other disabilities to consider.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for depression, finding that his psychiatric disability did not manifest during active service and is not causally related to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar (previously claimed as depression) because the evidence did not support a finding that his current diagnosis was related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder with mixed bipolar disorder and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The decision is based on new evidence provided by the Veteran during his appeal.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, unspecified anxiety disorder, and unspecified bipolar disorder, is granted as service-connected. Tinnitus was not demonstrated in or related to in-service acoustic trauma, did not manifest within one year of separation from service, or noted to be chronic during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current or previous diagnoses of adjustment disorder and bipolar disorder are linked to service. The examiner must address these issues in terms of their potential connection to service.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including his service connection claim. The Veteran is asked to provide updated private treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination and the submission of missing private treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder, is now pending.

The Veteran's PTSD and bipolar disorder were previously rated at 70 percent prior to January 23, 2020. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his psychiatric symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment, thus denying a rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Veteran's bipolar and related disorder with anxious distress has not met the criteria for a higher disability rating, as it does not cause significant impairment in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's psychiatric conditions pre-existed service and were not aggravated by service. The case will be further developed for a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for obtaining her most recent treatment records and providing her with a new examination to document the current state of her OCD and bipolar disorder. Her TDIU claim will also be remanded as she has not provided updated employment information.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a distinct psychiatric disability other than his service-connected bipolar disorder. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability other than bipolar disorder, to include PTSD, is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Bipolar Disorder, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service stressors. The decision is based on direct evidence of a link between the Veteran's in-service experiences and his current conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including attempted corroboration of in-service stressors and a VA mental health examination to determine the nature and etiology of any posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder. The decision is based on insufficient evidence regarding the in-service stressor and incomplete service records.