Depression decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case to consider new evidence and readjudicate issues related to service connection, ratings for psychiatric disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders.

The Board found no evidence of a psychiatric disability during service and no medical nexus linking the current condition to military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his PTSD existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service. The other diagnoses were also determined to be unrelated to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder (also claimed as depression) is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further development of her medical records.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing at the RO level.

The Board finds the evidence is in relative equipoise on whether the veteran's psychiatric symptoms, including depression and alcohol abuse/dependence, began during service. The cause of death by suicide is considered to be related to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for compliance with instructions in the Secretary's Motion, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board denied both the veteran's claims of service connection for a lipoma tumor of the left shoulder and depression, finding no competent medical evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his active military service.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of a head trauma with an amnesic disorder, psychotic disorder, depressive disorder and anxiety disorder are currently rated at 70 percent. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, mood disorder, and PTSD, are related to military sexual trauma during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disorder is causally related to his period of active service spanning March 2003 to March 2004 or any incident thereof.

The veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disability and hepatitis C were denied as the conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, D.C. for further review.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service hospitalization records and determining whether an additional VA examination is warranted.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 1, 1993 for the grant of service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as they are not related to his military service or due to an undiagnosed illness experienced during the Persian Gulf War.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess his depression, IBS, and bilateral eye disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus, cannot grant service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for a temporary total disability rating based on hospitalization or convalescence due to service-connected depression with anxiety. The issue of an increased rating for depression with anxiety is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back condition preexisted service and was aggravated by service, thus granting service connection for a back condition.