Depression decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depressive disorder not otherwise specified more nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combined rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU.

The case is REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development and readjudication. The Veteran needs a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has PTSD, its etiology, and whether any other acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA records. The appellant's claim will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70 percent disability rating since February 25, 2011.

The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of a gastrointestinal disability or weight loss disability, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of personality disorder is not a disability for VA compensation purposes, and he does not have any other separate psychiatric disorder that is related to or had its onset during service.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, effective December 2, 2013. The RO granted an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction on March 14, 2013.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD with alcohol abuse is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder or mood disorder NOS, may be related to his in-service physical and sexual assault.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and adjustment disorder, finding that there was no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran's reported in-service stressors were not supported by contemporaneous medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder but found insufficient evidence to establish service connection for anxiety disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is not shown to have been incurred in service or otherwise be the result of service. The combined rating for his service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's MDD resulted in total occupational and social impairment from the date of his Board hearing on November 24, 2014. The March 2015 VA examination corroborated the frequency, severity, and duration of symptoms reported at the hearing.

The Veteran's appeal to increase the rating for his service-connected depressive disorder, NOS was dismissed as he withdrew from further consideration of this issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran did not provide credible supporting evidence to substantiate his claimed in-service stressor.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and found new and material evidence to support it. The Veteran's current diagnoses of schizophrenia, mood disorder NOS, and depression are related to an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, currently diagnosed as depressive disorder, is found to be service-connected. The claim for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and antisocial personality disorder has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim.

The Veteran's service connection for a depressive disorder is granted. The rating for lumbosacral strain with lumbosacral DDD remains at 20 percent, and the initial rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity from February 14, 2011, to July 28, 2013, is granted at 10 percent. The rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity since July 29, 2013, is granted at 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including issuance of a SOC on the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and provision of an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder(s) on a secondary basis.