Depression decisions — 2012

The Veteran's diagnosed major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder are found to be related to his active service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board found that the evidence added to the record since the final rating decisions does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for hearing loss, diabetes mellitus as a result of exposure to herbicides, rosacea and actinic keratosis (claimed as a skin disorder) as a result of exposure to herbicides, hypertension, or anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for additional VA examinations. The claims will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, was rated at 30 percent prior to February 12, 2011. The rating has been maintained since then.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, particularly those from the mental health facilities where the Veteran was hospitalized in November 2008 and his follow-up visits. The VA will seek these records to determine if PTSD is service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims, including VA examinations and medical records. The Veteran will be provided with a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after all necessary actions are taken.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by severe symptomatology such as hallucinations and delusions, severe sleep disturbances, and occasional suicidal ideation, consistent with a finding of total occupational and social impairment. A 100 percent rating is warranted from October 6, 2005.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since July 29, 2008. The Board has determined that the evidence supports a higher rating of 70 percent for PTSD from this date.,For TDIU, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and MDD have caused significant impairment in his ability to work, leading to unemployment since 2002.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to address the causal relationship between his acquired psychiatric disability and active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and PTSD, is being remanded for further development. The case will be reconsidered after the additional evidence has been reviewed.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary in order to properly adjudicate the appellant's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's initial rating for PTSD has been granted at 50 percent, effective March 15, 2007. The appeal is not about service connection but rather the appropriate rating for a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain prior to February 1, 2005 was granted. His initial claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia, depression, and social anxiety, was reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Veteran is now rated at 20 percent for residuals of left knee injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current degree of disability due to major depression and an opinion on his TDIU claim.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's claim to reopen his earlier effective date for service connection of major depressive episode, obsessive compulsive disorder, and PTSD as a matter of law because it is legally barred.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and anxiety, finding no evidence of a current disability. The claim for bilateral shin splints was referred to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and a clarification of whether her depression is secondary to her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The TDIU claim is part of the increased rating claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination and obtaining more recent treatment records. The Veteran's current address needs to be confirmed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia, secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities is granted. The claims for increased ratings for left and right knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative arthritis are denied.