Depression decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and hypertension, finding that these conditions were not incurred during active service or are not causally related to any service-connected disability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining records from the Social Security Administration and clarifying his exposure to radiation during service. The claims will be adjudicated on the basis of direct service connection, non-ionized radiation exposure, and ionized radiation exposure.

The veteran's claim of service connection for depression has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the appeal process.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and determined that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also granted increased ratings for major depression, IBS, and prostatitis.

The veteran is seeking compensation for additional disability from erectile dysfunction with penile deformity and constant infections, as well as depression, resulting from VA surgical procedures in February 2002. The case must be remanded to obtain VAMC records of the surgeries and hospitalization.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining his employability.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension by reason of need for regular aid and attendance is granted due to his psychiatric condition, which requires the daily personal health services of a skilled provider without which he would require hospital or nursing home care.

The Board found that the veteran's psychiatric disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, were not incurred or aggravated in service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The veteran's headaches are not related to his military service.,His stomach disorder is presumed to have been incurred due to an undiagnosed illness during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. His major depressive disorder is considered a direct result of his military service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities were not continuously rated at 100% disabling for a period of ten years or more immediately preceding his death. Therefore, the criteria for entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are not met.

The veteran's psychiatric disabilities, specifically depressive disorder and panic disorder, are manifested by significant occupational and social impairment. The Board has determined that a 70 percent evaluation is warranted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depressive disorder is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that depression/dysthymia was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied the claim. The PTSD issue is addressed separately.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, is proximately due to his service-connected left knee chondromalacia and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including major depressive disorder and psychosis, are not due to disease or injury incurred in service. The claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depressive disorder warrants a 30 percent rating since the effective date of service connection, based on moderate symptoms and impairment in social functioning.

The Board has determined that the veteran's need for aid and attendance began on March 18, 1997, and awarded an effective date of that date for special monthly compensation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for depression as secondary to his service-connected bilateral foot disability, and denied entitlement to increased ratings for his right and left hallux valgus disabilities. The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his bilateral pes planus was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current anxiety and depression are secondary to his service-connected physical disabilities.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeals for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left foot bunionectomy and osteotomies and a rating in excess of 10 percent for major depressive disorder. As such, these issues are dismissed.