Depression decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in connection with this claim was inadequate and requires further development, including a new VA examination to determine if the veteran's depressive disorder is related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that the appellant's depression pre-existed service and did not worsen during service, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for depression secondary to tuberculosis, finding no document of record prior to October 31, 2001, that can be construed as a claim for this condition.

The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension by reason of being in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD due to his military service and that any current psychiatric conditions are not related to his service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and his claim for increased evaluation for major depression has been withdrawn.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the absence of her service medical records and failure to provide VCAA notice. The RO is instructed to obtain these records, issue proper VCAA notifications, and then readjudicate the claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressors. The veteran's claims for PTSD and major depressive disorder will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, currently diagnosed as dysthymia and depression, related to the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim is also granted due to the severity of the service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, fibromyalgia, and finds that the appellant's dizziness is not due to a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim of entitlement to service connection for headaches was reopened but remains denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a verified in-service stressor for PTSD, and thus denied service connection. The veteran's diabetes mellitus, depression, and coronary artery disease were also denied as they are not related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, voiding dysfunction, and depression due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not show service in Vietnam or any other credible basis for presumptive service connection.

The Board granted service connection for depression and assigned an initial disability rating of 50 percent effective June 14, 2002. The veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and his claimed stressors were not verified. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's current anxiety and depression diagnoses are not linked to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD linked to a confirmed in-service stressor and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the appellant's claims of service connection for a back disorder, PTSD with depression, and a bilateral knee condition was not submitted. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression. The evidence now shows that her symptoms likely began during service due to stressors experienced there.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension by reason of need for regular aid and attendance has been granted due to his multiple nonservice-connected disabilities, including COPD with sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, lumbar stenosis, diabetes mellitus (type II), and hypertension. The Board found that the veteran requires daily assistance in performing certain activities.