Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder has prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful occupation due to symptoms including anxiety, paranoia, chronic sleep impairment, suicidal ideation, persistent delusions or hallucinations, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tuberculosis, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric condition due to conflicting evidence and need for further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining relevant evidence and providing a VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, is being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to reschedule a VA examination for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims include service connection and secondary service connection issues.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 30, 2025 for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance was denied as there is no evidence showing he was permanently bedridden or helpless due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, finding that his pre-existing conditions were aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bipolar I disorder and lumbosacral strain were denied as the evidence did not show that his symptoms warranted a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder was granted an increased disability rating of 70 percent, effective from October 1, 2020. The decision found that the Veteran's symptoms and impairment more nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas throughout the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically bipolar disorder, is rated at 70 percent from April 25, 2012 to August 10, 2014 and from October 1, 2014 to June 17, 2024. The rating of 70 percent reflects the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, near-continuous panic, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, flattened affect, disturbances in motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene. The Veteran does not have a service connection theory involving the PACT Act or Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology that more nearly approximated total occupational and social impairment for the period from June 28, 2008, to July 10, 2016. For the period from July 11, 2016, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology resulting in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD and bipolar disorder are granted as service-connected, with the Board resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's bipolar II disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder are granted a disability rating of 70 percent. The claim for an increased rating for scoliosis is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bipolar disorder is service-connected, with the opinion being in favor of service connection based on evidence showing a link between his service and the condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea are dismissed due to a prior grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal is remanded for further development on the issues of service connection for hypertension and GERD.

The Board denied service connection for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and PTSD as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's appeal to receive a higher initial disability rating for his service-connected depressive disorder with anxiety (claimed as bipolar disorder) is dismissed because the Notice of Disagreement did not relate to any adjudicative determination by the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for a mental health disorder is dismissed. The Board grants the Veteran a TDIU from September 2, 2019, but no earlier.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical and mental conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current mental health conditions are due to events during his military service.

The Board has found that new evidence has been received for the previously denied claims of service connection for sleep apnea and PTSD, and therefore these claims are remanded to allow for further review.