Depression decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from October 2004.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA mental health examination to clarify the nature of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and determine its likely etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and clarifying his Social Security Administration disability benefits application. The RO must also determine the nature of any mood and depressive disorders and whether they are related to PTSD or fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including whether they are related to his active service. The examination must assess if PTSD meets the DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis and whether it is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service stressor, such as fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. For any other acquired psychiatric disorder found, the examiner must determine if it began during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and Major Depression, were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between his current conditions and his service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and a mental health evaluation to determine the severity of his major depression.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is at least partly attributable to unfortunate events that occurred during her military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right foot symptomatic dorsal callosities was granted, with a temporary total evaluation based upon surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence from October 14, 2009 to December 1, 2010. A 10 percent rating was then assigned, effective December 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, claimed as short term memory loss and sleep disturbance, is attributable to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders. The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records, conduct a VA examination, and determine whether any diagnosed conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and the provision of relevant medical records. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include depressive disorder. The VA examiner could not determine without resorting to speculation whether the Veteran's current mood is connected to his military service. The RO has been instructed to arrange for a VA examination by a psychiatrist or psychologist and obtain all outstanding VA medical records.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent disabling, but his appeal for an increased rating and a prior effective date has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining more information about an incident involving a lieutenant commander during service and determining whether any preexisting psychiatric disability was aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete treatment records. The Veteran's claim remains pending and will be reconsidered after all necessary steps are taken.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, epididymitis, and depression have been denied. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a low back disorder resulting from his fall in October 2003 has also been denied.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain the Veteran's complete Mayo Clinic medical treatment records, including psychiatric records from 1966 to August 2000 and after April 2006. The case is then remanded for a new examination if any new mental health medical records are received.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's manifestations of diagnosed depression cannot be meaningfully separated from his manifestations of service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD with depression and anxiety. As a result, the Veteran's symptoms from his anxiety disorder are now considered part of his already service-connected disability. The RO is remanded to readjudicate the issue of entitlement to initial rating greater than 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD with depression and anxiety.