Depression decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues related to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The veteran's claim is currently in a pending state.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of August 26, 1980 for the award of service connection and a 100% disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of a depressive disorder, thus denying the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence, including a lack of an adequate VA examination and missing records from Northhampton VA Medical Center. The veteran is also advised about alternative sources of competent evidence for his claim based on in-service personal assault.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar disc protrusion, L4-5 and major depression. The claim to reopen the post-operative right ankle disability was not addressed.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C and depression claims are not supported by evidence of in-service exposure or a service connection relationship, leading to denial of both claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim will be further evaluated on its merits.

The veteran's claims for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and a personality disorder with immature personality and situational adjustment reaction have been reopened, but the issues of entitlement to these conditions remain unresolved.,The Board is remanding the case back to the AOJ for further action on the reopened claims.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric condition, including psychotic symptoms, schizotypal personality, depressive reaction, and major depressive disorder. The claim is granted as new and material evidence has been received.

The Board has jurisdiction to review the veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depression and a nervous disorder. The veteran submitted timely notice of disagreement with the September 2002 rating decision denying his claim.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, depression, and PTSD. The evidence submitted was found to be cumulative or redundant and did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and panic disorder with agoraphobia (claimed as anxiety) was denied. The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD.

The veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a lumbosacral spine disorder are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and depression. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities.

The veteran's depression does not meet the criteria for a higher initial evaluation, as it does not result in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has determined that the veteran is entitled to an effective date of July 21, 1992 for the receipt of a claim for an increased rating for depression. The issues remaining are whether a compensable rating is warranted for depression from July 21, 1992 through January 29, 2001; and entitlement to an effective date for the grant of service connection and a compensable rating for PTSD prior to January 30, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for depression, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have depression related to service or her service-connected disabilities and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The veteran's coronary artery disease, resulting from a right coronary artery dissection with myocardial infarction in the course of an April 1995 VA angioplasty, is found to be compensable under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety disorder, finding no medical evidence linking the current diagnosis to service or a service-connected disability.