Depression decisions — 2010

The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorder, suicidal behavior, depression, and PTSD. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these disorders.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder have been found to meet the criteria for a higher initial disability rating, but her migraine headaches and rhinitis with epistaxis do not warrant an increased evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected psychiatric conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge via video conference at his local RO.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for his psychiatric disorder and a compensable rating for his bilateral pes planus with arch pain, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a right eye injury, bilateral defective vision, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been granted. The conditions are presumed to be related to military service due to the Gulf War presumption.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, right and left shoulder tendonitis, depressive disorder, cervical spondylosis, lumbar degenerative discs, a left knee disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a left pelvic disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, sinus residuals of a rhinoplasty and septoplasty, a left foot disorder, hypertension, genitourinary (urethral) disorder, and rosacea on the nose, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since April 1, 2001. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities meet the percentage criteria for TDIU throughout the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome and depression due to incomplete records, including service treatment records from both periods of active duty. The Veteran is also asked to provide information about any Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits she may be receiving.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA mental disorders and audiological examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA psychiatric examination to determine if his current psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current depression is not related to his military service and more likely due to a post-service back injury. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claim, including obtaining records from the Jacksonville Naval Hospital where he was hospitalized during his period of active duty.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital in February 2006 was denied because the services were not authorized by VA and the Veteran had other health care coverage under Medicare.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, anxiety, agoraphobia, and posttraumatic stress disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and notification.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and related conditions were denied as his account of an in-service assault was deemed not credible, leading to a lack of evidence supporting the claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of service-connected PTSD, cognitive disorder not otherwise specified, and major depressive disorder to include as due to traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's seizures associated with basal skull fracture are rated at a separate 20% effective October 23, 2008. The claim for a psychiatric disorder is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depression is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected low back disability, and thus grants service connection for depression on a secondary basis.