Depression decisions — 2013

The Board has found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is service connected as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C. The heart disability claim remains pending.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is found to have been incurred during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a depressive disorder with panic attacks and anxiety, residuals of left thumb and hand injury, and low back injury. The appellant's claims were not supported by competent medical evidence linking the current disabilities to his National Guard service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine if his current diagnoses are related to his in-service duties, including working as an instructor in an intelligence school in Okinawa.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and granted service connection for schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type). The decision is based on new evidence that raises a possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depressive disorder NOS is related to his military service, including his young age of enlistment and subsequent events such as diagnosis with gonorrhea, death of two brothers in action, AWOL status, and dishonorable discharge. The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's symptoms of PTSD with depression most closely approximate occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, due to such symptoms as suicidal ideation; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with period of violence); difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances; and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including undifferentiated schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and a mood disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records and for a new opinion regarding the etiology of his psychiatric conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sarcoidosis, COPD, and depression are not related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthralgia of the skeletal joints, myalgia, gastrointesintal disability (claimed as a stomach disorder), and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been granted. The Veteran's psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) has also been granted. An increased rating for his low back disability is denied.

The Veteran's appeal involves claims for higher ratings for urticaria pigmentosa and a reopening of her claim for service connection for depression. The case is being remanded to obtain additional evidence, including Social Security Administration records and private treatment records.

The Board finds that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or skin basal cell carcinoma of the forehead. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD with anxiety and depression is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current PTSD and depression are related to his military service, including a confirmed in-service stressor involving an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol in June 2005. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms are related to an in-service personal assault stressor.

The Board has granted service connection for psychiatric disability, including depression, memory loss, and insomnia. The decision is based on the reopening of a previously denied claim due to new evidence.

The Veteran seeks an increased disability evaluation for his service-connected PTSD with secondary depression. The RO has granted service connection and assigned a 30 percent rating effective from August 8, 2007, and later increased it to 50 percent effective October 1, 2012. However, the claim remains on appeal as the Veteran seeks an evaluation in excess of 30 percent prior to October 1, 2012.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee disorders. The claim of entitlement to service connection for fibromyalgia, secondary to a psychiatric disorder, is also denied.