Depression decisions — 2000

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing to be scheduled at the Atlanta, Georgia, RO or the Montgomery, Alabama RO.

The veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to her service-connected disabilities and new claims. The Board has ordered further development of the record, including obtaining examination reports and private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for major depression and dysthymia, finding that the veteran's psychiatric disability was incurred during his active military service. The claim for a compensable evaluation for infectious mononucleosis is denied as there are no current symptoms attributable to this condition.

The veteran's service-connected conditions, including major depressive disorder and chronic low back pain, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's major depressive disorder with psychotic features is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that this rating is not sufficient to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including damage to the reproductive system, ulcer, numbness in the hands, headaches, depression, skin rash, lumps on the arms, trouble sleeping, hypertension, nervous tension, and peripheral neuropathy, are not well-grounded. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service, particularly as related to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of LSD testing. The veteran's claims are based on his belief that he developed various disabilities as a result of an in-service experiment involving LSD.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current ulcer disorder, migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorders to his service. As such, the claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that they were not well-grounded due to a lack of evidence supporting their diagnosis or causation.

The Board granted service connection for depression and assigned a 20 percent evaluation for cervical spine disability. The evaluations for thoracic and lumbar spine disabilities were also increased to 10 percent each.

The Board denied service connection for major depression, recurrent severe with psychotic symptoms as secondary to service-connected ankylosed index and middle finger of the right hand and residuals of right foot injury due to lack of evidence linking the current mental condition to the service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to March 4, 1997, for the grant of service connection for PTSD and major depression.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, depression, and lumbosacral strain with right sciatic irritation. The decision also determined that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his various disabilities, finding that he is not in need of such assistance.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's psychiatric disorders to his period of active military service, thus concluding that the claim for service connection is not well grounded.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings and earlier effective date for PTSD, major depression with anxiety features, and voiding dysfunction were granted. The rating for post-herpetic zoster neuralgia was denied.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 30 percent for internal derangement of the left knee and a separate 10 percent evaluation for degenerative arthritis, effective March 26, 1999. The veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is rated at 30 percent disabling since January 1999.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's currently diagnosed major depressive disorder to his naval service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The appellant's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected bipolar disorder with depression is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a current VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has reopened the claim and found new and material evidence to support a service connection for depressive disorder. The veteran's history of depression during service, along with her current diagnosis, supports this finding.