Depression decisions — 2015

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder are granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for earlier effective dates and service connection. The Board has determined that the issues are not properly before it due to a lack of an SOC in some cases, and requests for travel hearings have been made but not yet scheduled.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and will review the claims based on additional evidence.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and spinal disorders. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic cluster headaches and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remain pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records from a Richmond VA facility.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder NOS, had its onset during active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and dysthymia, left lower extremity disorder (chronic left ankle sprain with local superficial nerve entrapment), degenerative disk disease and/or stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, and right upper extremity disorder (radiculopathy) are all found to be related to her active service.

The Veteran requested the withdrawal of his appeal, and as a result, the case has been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and service personnel records. The Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 8, 2010 for a 100 percent rating for his service-connected major depressive disorder with psychotic features.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depressive disorder is granted, as the evidence is at least in equipoise that his current condition is related to his military service. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depressive disorder remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, is attributable to service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and other diagnoses, is being remanded due to the need for additional development. The Board will consider evidence of sexual harassment during service and its potential impact on her current mental health conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent since July 8, 2009. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma status-post radiation treatment are found to have materially contributed to his death from liver metastases due to or a consequence of esophageal cancer.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting a new examination. The TDIU claim is also part of the pending increased rating claim.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and depression), migraine headaches, left hip disability, and left knee disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD most nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. Therefore, the criteria for an initial 70 percent rating have been met.