Depression decisions — 2009

The claim for service connection for depression, secondary to tinnitus, is being remanded for additional development and readjudication.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, characterized as depression, finding that the evidence did not show an in-service incurrence or aggravation of the condition and that there was no medical evidence linking the current condition to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, except for a 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease since February 18, 2008.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and depression, but denied service connection for a sleep disorder and joint pains.

The Board finds that the competent medical evidence demonstrates that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as a major depressive disorder with PTSD features, is chronically worsened by service-connected physical disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, primarily manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, near-continuous panic attacks, anxiety, impaired impulse control, hypervigilance, anger and irritability, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and an inability to establish effective relationships, is granted a 70 percent evaluation.

The Veteran was granted a 70 percent disability rating for anxiety and depression, secondary to his service-connected imperforate anus, from January 3, 2003 to September 29, 2005. The claim for an increased rating since September 29, 2005 was denied.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence related to the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depression.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and considering whether any claimed disability had its onset during a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Board grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issues involving the heart and psychiatric disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there was no evidence to support a link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's period of active military service.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's depression is related to his active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was determined to have been incurred in active service, while left ear hearing loss and major depressive disorder were not service-connected. The tension headaches did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional evidence and schedule a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for major depression, as there was no evidence of a valid claim prior to August 20, 1991.

The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable prior to December 30, 1999, that the veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder was productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. There is no evidence that the veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected major depressive disorder prior to December 30, 1999.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left shoulder, depression, and bilateral hip disabilities are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include depression and PTSD, as there was no current clinical diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder or a diagnosis of PTSD made in accordance with the DSM-IV.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for a low back disorder, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, and a bilateral elbow disorder as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected gunshot wound of the left shoulder and arm is not manifested by actual loss of use of the left shoulder and arm, and his major depression is manifested by occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of an inability to perform occupational tasks. The Veteran's combined disability rating does not preclude him from securing and maintaining gainful employment.