Depression decisions — 2011

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for depression, but denied the claim on its merits. The Veteran's depression is not found to be related to his time in service or his service-connected foot disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder, manifested by hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, and chest pain. The decision also addresses his claims for bilateral hearing loss and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is currently rated at 10 percent, the minimum rating available under DC 9434. The VA examinations conducted in 2006 and 2008 showed that his symptoms were mild or transient, with occasional decrease in work efficiency during periods of significant stress.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further investigation regarding his service-connected PTSD and potential duplicate file.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for a back disability due to new and material evidence. However, the claim for depression remains denied as there is no direct service connection established.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the claimed stressor for PTSD. The appellant is asked to provide additional details and complete a PTSD questionnaire, and VA will attempt to verify the stressor with the JSRRC.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and service treatment records, as well as verify the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not file a claim prior to March 29, 2002, when he received his original service connection award. His right hand/finger injury and PTSD with depression, bipolar features, anxiety and nervousness have been granted effective from March 29, 2002.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no final decision has been made on any of the issues raised.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a bilateral shoulder disability, and a right wrist disability due to new evidence received since May 2007. The claim is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disabilities, including anxiety and depression, are not attributable to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to service, including her personal assault during service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his psychiatric and spine conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder and depression, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims file.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, claimed as depression, is found to be related to his service-connected tinnitus and thus secondary service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a current clinical diagnosis of PTSD. The right knee osteoarthritis was also found to be unrelated to service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorder, including verification of an in-service stressor. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for a VA examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were granted, with the organic brain syndrome due to trauma receiving a rating of 40 percent effective October 23, 2008. The Veteran was also awarded service connection for depression as a result of his traumatic brain injury.