Depression decisions — 2016

The Veteran's psychiatric disability including PTSD, depressive disorder, and panic disorder without agoraphobia is rated at 70 percent. His cognitive disorder with a history of post-concussion syndrome has been rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right knee and associated foot conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 7, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD with secondary major depressive disorder is rated at 70% since April 13, 2015.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is rated at 20% since February 20, 2015.,The Veteran's IBS is rated at 30% since February 20, 2015.,The Veteran's hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet remains rated at 10%.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to credible supporting evidence of a sexual assault during service and medical opinions linking his current conditions to this stressor.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is best diagnosed as panic disorder with agoraphobia, and any other conditions are considered comorbid symptoms of this primary condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for additional examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 6, 2014.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms are better explained by substance abuse rather than service connection. The claim for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD remains denied.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish a service connection for PTSD, and the Veteran's diagnosed conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his PTSD and whether it is possible to separate its effects from his nonservice-connected depressive disorder NOS. The claim will be reviewed again after this additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression was found to be less than the required 50% for an increased rating prior to April 18, 2011. From April 18, 2011 through February 9, 2012, the Veteran's condition did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to non-compliance with previous directives and an incomplete examination.

The Veteran's dysthymia resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating prior to December 20, 2014. The TDIU claim was remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and a depressive disorder was denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after active service. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for PTSD under DSM-IV/DSM-5 and his current symptoms do not meet full criteria for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder, and there is no evidence linking his symptoms to service. The claim for GERD was also denied as there is no clear relationship between the condition and his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for depression, as well as his claim for PTSD. The decision is based on new evidence provided by a private psychiatrist in February 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional records and provide a VA examination. The issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities, will be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for extraschedular consideration. The current schedular criteria do not meet the requirements for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claustrophobia has been rated at 50 percent since September 10, 2012.,However, the Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating as his disability does not meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD with recurrent major depression resulted in occupational and social impairment, leading to a 70 percent rating prior to August 15, 2012.