Depression decisions — 2011

The Board denied claims for service connection for depression with stress, heart disease, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The claim for residuals of left ankle injury was remanded due to a request for reconsideration.

The Veteran's major depression has been rated at 70 percent since September 4, 2008, due to severe impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives and pending adjudication of claims.

The Board has determined that the original grants of service connection for obstructive disease and major depressive disorder were clearly erroneous due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions, leading to their severance.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his fear of hostile military activity during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of timely filing and additional development is required, including obtaining SSA records and providing a VA examination.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding of herbicide exposure during service, and thus the Veteran's cause of death cannot be presumed to have been incurred in or as a result of active service. The Board also determined that the Veteran did not suffer from any conditions related to his military service at the time of his death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and antisocial personality disorder have been denied as there is no evidence of an in-service onset or aggravation of these conditions. The claim for bipolar disorder was also denied due to lack of a link between service and the condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran has demonstrated some symptoms of reduced reliability and productivity due to his PTSD, such as difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances and interpersonal relationships, but these do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current PTSD with a depressive disorder is service-connected, as it was incurred during his active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a comprehensive VA examination and additional development of his treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes PTSD, major depression, and alcohol dependence, is currently rated at 50 percent. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, and impaired judgment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disability did not have its clinical onset in or is otherwise related to his service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The case is being remanded for further development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities and whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to verify stressors and consider the liberalized regulations regarding fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. The case will be reconsidered after any necessary development.

The Veteran's disability rating for depression and delusional disorder was reduced from 100% to 50%, effective June 1, 2007. The reduction was not upheld by the Board as it did not reflect an improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess her service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and any other psychiatric disability. The RO must also obtain all pertinent treatment records from the Springfield VA Outpatient Clinic.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining missing personnel records and corroborating evidence of in-service stressors.