Depression decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus disability, and a compensable rating for high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus is 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records. The veteran is currently service connected for a depressive disorder and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with bilateral L5-S1 radiculopathy. He is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, residuals of bilateral ankle strains, depression, a disability manifested by nose bleeding (manifested by nose bleeds), and narrowing of the disc space between C5-6 and C6-7. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service or do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and there is no evidence of a currently manifested acquired psychiatric disorder being related to service. Therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of major depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected disabilities and continued his 10 percent evaluation for instability of the left knee.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, hearing loss of the left ear, major depressive disorder with alcohol abuse in remission, bilateral tarsometatarsal degenerative arthrosis, left acromioclavicular joint degenerative changes (osteoarthritis), status post non-displaced tibial plateau fracture of the left knee, and arthritic changes of the cervical spine.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, and hypertension. The Board found that there was no credible supporting evidence to corroborate the veteran's claimed stressors related to his military service, and thus denied service connection for PTSD. There is also no current diagnosis or treatment record for hypertension within the one-year presumptive period.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for clinical depression, drug and alcohol dependence, and PTSD. The evidence received since the last denial did not present new and material evidence to reopen the claim of clinical depression and drug and alcohol dependence.

The Board found that the veteran's psychiatric disorder did not start during service and is not related to any in-service stressors. The claim for reopening was denied, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, finding that there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors or a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a nervous condition and basic eligibility for non-service-connected pension benefits due to insufficient evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for depression as a result of exposure to herbicides and an increased disability rating for left leg varicose veins, finding no current diagnosis of depression and that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, cervical spine, low back, and left shoulder disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. However, the evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link between these conditions and active service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's major depressive disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, the minimum rating for this condition.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the issues of service connection for a low back disability and depression are no longer before the Board.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for major depression secondary to service connected headaches and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a link between the veteran's depression and his service-connected headache disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a chronic psychiatric disability related to active service and thus, service connection for depression is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's post-operative residuals of left knee torn meniscus, depression, and hypertension are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected cold injury residuals of the feet.