Depression decisions — 2009

The Board finds that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, predominantly diagnosed as depression, was incurred in active service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia, is service-connected. His peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities has been rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is found to be proximately due to his service-connected bilateral knee disorder, and thus granted as secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records and private medical treatment records. A new VA examination will be conducted to assess the current severity of her service-connected psychiatric disorder, ovarian cysts, and fibroadenoma.

The Veteran's mood disorder was rated at 30 percent from April 27, 2005 to January 31, 2008 and increased to 50 percent from February 1, 2008. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted (increased rating) and others denied (no higher rating).

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD with depression) and denied service connection for an ear disability (bilateral hearing loss). The Veteran's PTSD is linked to a verified in-service stressor, while his bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with depression and history of alcohol abuse is being remanded to the RO for initial review of additional evidence submitted after a June 2009 supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety and major depression is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, to include depression, did not manifest during or as a result of her active military service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claimed residuals of a fractured nose are not shown to be related to service.,His hearing loss disability is not shown to have originated in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee and right foot injury, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (major depressive disorder), a right knee disability, and kidney cancer. The denial is based on lack of new and material evidence to reopen the claim for residuals of a left knee and right foot injury, insufficient evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD, no current right knee disability, and no link between kidney cancer and active service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including consideration of service connection for major depression and alcohol abuse secondary to PTSD. The RO must also consider whether all service-connected disabilities prevent the Veteran from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, major depressive disorder, and tinnitus) render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's cause of death was not found to be related to his service-connected conditions, specifically his generalized anxiety disorder with depression.

The Board found no evidence of a current psychiatric disorder related to service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for loss of sense of smell, bilateral shin splints, left knee cartilage deterioration, and acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) have been denied. The claim for asthma has been granted with a 30% evaluation but not higher.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder, were found to be incurred as a result of active service. Service connection was granted for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a nervous condition due to new and material evidence. However, the claims for depression, anxiety or panic disorder, a nervous condition, and dissociative identity disorder have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining mental health records and arranging a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disability is related to his military service.