Depression decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety mood disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current depressive disorder is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and major depressive disorder were denied as there is no credible evidence of a direct relationship to service. The rating for eczema of the feet remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine his eligibility for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to assess his spine condition and psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records, counseling records, and SSA records. A new VA examination will be scheduled to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he can perform sedentary work despite his physical and psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression have resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent schedular evaluation throughout the initial evaluation period.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder not otherwise specified, panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for calluses, left foot and entitlement to service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability remain on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and a psychiatric disorder other than posttraumatic stress disorder, finding that there was no current diagnosis of either condition during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or since service. The Veteran's lay statements were not considered competent evidence to establish these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding evidence and providing a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and major depression. The issue of entitlement to TDIU based on these disabilities will also be considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, MDD, schizoaffective disorder, or psychosis, is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, are related to her active military service.

The Veteran's MDD is related to his military service, but he does not have PTSD that is related to a verified military stressor. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than MDD, to include PTSD, is denied as there is no corroborated in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private mental health treatment records, and arranging for a new psychiatric examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disabilities.

The Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD and denied the claim for service connection, concluding that the Veteran's psychiatric conditions are not related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for another VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed cervical spine, thoracic or lumbar spine, and acquired psychiatric disorders are not related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against her claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from the June 2008 VA examiner.