Depression decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing at the St. Petersburg RO.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is currently rated as 50 percent disabling, but the Board finds that this rating does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the remand orders have not been complied with and therefore, the case must again be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, depression, sleep apnea, knee disabilities, and osteoarthritis, were denied. The Board found no evidence of a relationship between the claimed conditions and active duty or National Guard service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development of his medical records and consideration of the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claim due to outstanding service records and treatment records, as well as military personnel records. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder(s) is being reviewed for possible service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent, effective August 23, 2005. The rating is based on the current symptoms and impairment caused by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and its impact on his occupational and social functioning.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was manifested by symptoms no greater than productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), resulting in a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected psychiatric disorder and additional records procurement.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the schedular criteria for a TDIU prior to March 14, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional records, including service hospitalization records. The claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, to include depression and anxiety, clearly and unmistakably existed prior to his period of active service and was not aggravated during this period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and MDD are causally related to stressors in service, which have been corroborated by credible supporting evidence. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board also found that there is credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors and a link between current symptoms and those events, thus granting service connection for PTSD. However, further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has any other psychiatric disability (other than PTSD) due to service.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with Asperger's syndrome resulted in occupational and social impairment, but did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The RO granted an initial rating of 30 percent from December 13, 2007 to March 9, 2011, and 50 percent thereafter.