Depression decisions — 2015

The Board has granted an effective date of April 29, 2002 for the award of service connection for PTSD with MDD. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed psychiatric disability, including whether it had its origin during service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at the highest available rating (70%) and he is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, including depression. The Veteran's representative has requested expedited handling due to homelessness.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including depression and anxiety, is not related to his military service. The most probative evidence indicates that the Veteran's current condition did not stem from his in-service diagnosis of anxiety neurosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an initial rating higher than 30 percent for major depressive disorder with psychotic features, but granted his claim for an effective date earlier than March 12, 1998 for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder is being remanded due to incomplete development and need for a VA retrospective medical opinion.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service. The previous opinion was based on an incorrect factual premise and is therefore inadequate.

The Veteran's initial disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD with depression has been increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine his need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's depression is found to be etiologically related to his service-connected narcolepsy, and the claim for service connection for depression as secondary to narcolepsy is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and cold injury residuals is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his claims.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, which are at least as likely as not due to service. The Board grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for a cerebrovascular accident, to include depression, which he claims was caused by a failure to obtain informed consent prior to an attempted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in February 2007. The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the appropriate informed consent was obtained and whether the Veteran's stroke was reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent disabling, the maximum rating available under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure all relevant VA treatment records have been considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his in-service hospitalization records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his education and occupational experience, have at least as likely as not made him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that TDIU is warranted.