Depression decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for major depressive disorder, evaluated at 50 percent disabling from September 24, 2003, was denied. The Board also denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but has remanded the issue of service connection for other psychiatric disorders due to lack of evidence. The Veteran's claim is pending further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and private medical records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting research to corroborate his in-service stressors. The Veteran will also be provided with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently-diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's depressive disorder with attention deficit disorder was granted service connection. The initial evaluations for Crohn's Disease, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and residuals of injury to the right ankle/foot remain unchanged.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by insomnia, depression, anger, intrusive memories, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated startle response, resulting in moderate social and occupational impairment. The Board has determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development, including locating a potential witness of racial discrimination and obtaining their statement.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have PTSD or any other psychiatric disability due to his service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability and a headache disorder, finding that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected eye disability or military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and treatment records, confirming the Veteran's service with the Army National Guard in June 1994, scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and panic disorder based on the Veteran's reported in-service stressors of sexual assault.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD/depressive disorder. The case has been remanded due to a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision that did not reopen his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating, finding that his PTSD alone did not render him unemployable and that when combined with other conditions, he was considered to be totally unemployable. The effective date of the grant of TDIU is June 3, 2008.

The Board has determined that additional development of the evidence is required to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. This includes a new VA psychiatric examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a travel board hearing at the RO. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for depression remains under review.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is service-connected, but he does not have PTSD. The Board has found that his depressive disorder is related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected VA pension benefits is denied as he did not serve during a period of war and thus does not meet the basic eligibility requirements.

The Veteran's death was caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease, which the private cardiologist opined were related to his service-connected PTSD. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected mid-back disability is rated at 40 percent effective September 23, 2003. The condition is manifested by Harrington rods between T1 and T7 as well as pain to include pain at the extremes of motion.