Depression decisions — 2010

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and depression, finding no evidence of such conditions during active service or any link to service. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his period of military service.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board is reopening the claim for service connection for hepatitis C and remanding it to the RO for further development. The Veteran's claims for alcohol abuse and PTSD are being remanded as well.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, depressive disorder not otherwise specified, depression, and anxiety. The case is being returned to the RO for additional development.

The Board has expanded the issue to include any and all psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to incomplete development of evidence regarding his claimed stressors and potential diagnoses.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, and bilateral tinnitus has been granted service connection. Service connection for erectile dysfunction and a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) have also been established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depression is not related to his service-connected hearing loss and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for alopecia and a psychiatric disorder (including depression, nervous disorder, and PTSD) are granted. The decision also notes that the Veteran's sleep disorder claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are likely related to his military service.

For the period from November 1, 2004, the Veteran's PTSD is manifested by total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. His loss of sense of taste and smell are both rated at the maximum disability rating provided by regulation, while his headaches are currently rated at the maximum disability rating provided by regulation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left knee osteoarthritis, or major depressive disorder that is related to his military service, including being secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. Therefore, these claims are denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, is found to be related to his in-service stressor. The skin condition claim secondary to herbicide exposure will be addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's depressive disorder, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The claim of secondary service connection for alcohol dependence was also denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen this claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was denied as there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for anxiety with depression is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and consideration of his unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected back disorder and otitis media, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for tension headaches. The Board also denied his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and unclear etiology opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since December 20, 2004. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms have caused occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily), warranting a rating no higher than 30 percent.