Depression decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient medical evidence for service connection of his acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral knee disability. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran's stressors are related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during service in Vietnam, and his current diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and anxiety are supported by medical opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, including as secondary to service-connected hearing loss, was not established. The Board also denied service connection for tinnitus and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits was denied as he did not have an employment handicap despite having multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from September 19, 2009. The VA examiner found the Veteran had significant impairment caused by PTSD and depression.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for proper notice regarding service connection based on personal assault and obtaining updated treatment records from the Albuquerque VAMC.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for further development and verification of his claimed stressor.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the ineligibility of his claimed stressor event and the need for additional VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, Depressive Disorder NOS, and Mood Disorder were denied as there was no established service connection due to lack of verified stressors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and left foot Morton's neuroma are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the nature and likely etiology of her psychiatric disorder and scheduling her for an examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of her left foot condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral leg disability, renal disability, hepatitis C, depression not otherwise specified, and pelvic hematoma as a result of the December 14, 2005 dialysis incident is granted. The Veteran has been awarded compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for PTSD due to this incident.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression and PTSD, incurred in or aggravated by active duty service.

The Veteran's depression caused occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood prior to October 9, 2009. Since then, his depression has caused total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current psychiatric disorders.

The Board has expanded the service connection claim to include all of the Veteran's currently diagnosed psychiatric disorders. The case is REMANDED for additional development, including obtaining a VA addendum medical opinion and updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for additional development and consideration of his claims, including those related to squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, depression, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for major depression and anxiety disorder, but denied reopening of his claim for PTSD. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA examination to determine if any current psychiatric disability other than PTSD had its clinical onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure during active service. The Veteran's current diagnosed depression is not shown to have had its clinical onset during service, thus service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete information and need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination.