Depression decisions — 2006

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with PTSD, which includes symptoms such as panic attacks, poor concentration, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, nightmares, mistrust, isolation, paranoia, and difficulty with male supervisors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a review of VA prescribed medications and their potential impact on the veteran's death in a motor vehicle accident.

The Board found that the veteran's depression did not have its onset during service and is not related to his military service. The claim for service connection for depression was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's depressive disorder, NOS, was manifested by depression, anxiety, mild memory loss, impaired concentration, irritability without physical violence, compulsive checking, difficulty in social relationships, and sleep impairment. The rating assigned is 30 percent for the period from January 23, 2001 to November 3, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for major depression and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability. The veteran was assigned a 50 percent disability evaluation for his major depression.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches. However, the Board finds that the veteran does not have a current disability of migraine headaches or any other claimed conditions (hiatal hernia, dermatitis, major depressive disorder, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine) that are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, requires additional development due to incomplete records and conflicting diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing corrective VCAA notice.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining the veteran's Social Security Administration records.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for panic attacks and depression, as well as bilateral hearing loss, were not substantiated by the evidence. The claim for panic attacks and depression was denied because there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was also denied due to a lack of in-service disease or injury that could be linked to current disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, and hypertension, were not incurred during his period of active military service. The evidence does not support a finding of combat participation or credible corroborating evidence for the veteran's reported stressful events in Vietnam.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA medical records.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to incomplete development of records, including those from the Vet Center. The veteran will be provided VCAA notice regarding disability ratings and effective dates. A VA examination is required to determine if the veteran has PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder that may have been caused by his in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depression is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected major depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation and consideration of VA outpatient records.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during or after service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a video conference hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder and assigned a 10 percent rating for residuals of left fourth metacarpal bone fracture, finding that the veteran's current psychiatric condition had its onset during service.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or hypertensive vascular disease in service, and the medical records do not show a nexus to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for depression was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service or service-connected conditions.