Depression decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues with notification and medical records.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for schizophrenia effective May 12, 2003. The veteran's claim was based on the increase in his schizophrenia symptoms first ascertainable on August 31, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 26, 2002 for the award of nonservice-connected disability pension benefits (NSC pension) due to lack of evidence showing he was unemployable prior to June 15, 1998.

The veteran's chronic multi-symptom illness of diarrhea with blood in the stool is considered a qualifying chronic disability and service connection is granted. The papular skin rash on the extensor surface of the arms, presumed to be due to exposure to burn pits during Gulf War service, also meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board granted service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and major depression, effective December 10, 2001, and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance with the same effective date.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for further examination.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a nervous condition, including GAD with depression and PTSD. The heart condition and vision conditions claims are denied as secondary to diabetes mellitus Type II. Service connection for diabetes mellitus Type II is granted at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's alcohol abuse is not secondary to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depression, and thus denied the claim.

The Board found that the evidence did not show a current disability of depression and no causal connection to service, thus denying the veteran's claim for service connection for depression.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The evidence supports that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, depression, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The veteran's preexisting spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis was not aggravated by service, and there is no evidence linking his current diagnoses to service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board denies entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records from correctional facilities and the Chattahoochee Mental Hospital.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current psychiatric disability related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The appellant's claim for service connection and eligibility for VA medical care was denied as his psychiatric conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and procedural errors, including failure to provide proper VCAA notice. The veteran's claim for service connection is being reviewed again with new evidence provided.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to determine if the appellant has a right foot disorder related to her military service and whether she has back or depressive disorders that are linked to any incident of active military service.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, effective from April 2004.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a hearing and readjudicating the claims.

The veteran's major depression/bipolar disorder is currently productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, warranting a 30 percent disability rating.