Depression decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence and changed theories of entitlement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor is not credible and does not support a finding of service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Depression.

The Board found no current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disability and denied service connection for depression. The claim for increased rating for traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder was granted with a 20% evaluation effective from September 5, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have PTSD, and there is no evidence linking COPD, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder to service. The claim for service connection for these conditions must be denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety and depression as secondary to his service-connected knee and right wrist disabilities, as well as increased ratings for his knee and wrist conditions, are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is causally or etiologically due to service, and the Board grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder is service-connected, but his PTSD claim was denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability attributable to her military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depression, panic disorder with agoraphobia, narcissistic personality disorder, personality disorder NOS, bipolar disorder type I with psychotic features, substance abuse, and schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right shoulder impingement syndrome was rated at 20 percent, PTSD with anxiety/depression was rated at 30 percent from February 23, 2011, and the claim for a right knee disability was not supported by evidence.

The Veteran's joint pains of the right hip, diagnosed as right hip greater trochanteric bursitis, is related to her period of military service and has been granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disability, as well as whether drug addiction is related to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active military service.,Service connection was also granted for bipolar disorder with depression. The Board found that hypertension is not related to the Veteran's service or any other condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder was granted by the Board, with no specific rating assigned and without an effective date provided.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has any psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that there was no new evidence to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, including VA examinations and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, mania, and depression, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the onset and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depression. The case is being remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion.