Depression decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for a new VA examination regarding the severity of his PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for both the psychiatric disability and ED claims, including obtaining a VA examination to clarify the nature and etiology of all psychiatric disabilities and assessing whether ED is related to service-connected conditions or diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of in-service stressors and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for depression. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities. The examiner must provide opinions on whether each diagnosed condition is related to service or experiences therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and Depressive Disorder are related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his active duty service or caused by his service-connected right knee and/or right ankle disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depressive disorder, diagnosed in service and related to family issues, is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder are etiologically related to his active duty service, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, cannot be granted as there is no evidence of an in-service stressor event and no medical opinion linking any current psychiatric condition to his military service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain the Veteran's complete service personnel and treatment records, including those from his reported service in the Air Force Reserve and Army Reserve. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such nature and severity as to have prevented him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a verified in-service stressor for PTSD and denied service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% prior to November 27, 2013 and at 70% from that date onwards. He also has a newly reopened depressive disorder NOS which requires service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, arranging for a VA examination by a psychiatrist to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work, and considering all evidence in adjudicating the claim.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and PTSD have resulted in total occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression is rated at 70 percent since September 26, 2013. The appeal for a higher initial rating prior to this date remains pending.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for PTSD, for accrued benefits purposes. The Veteran's death was used to reopen his previously denied claims, but the new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder with dysthymia and posttraumatic stress disorder, does not more nearly approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder was rated at 30 percent prior to June 27, 2011 and increased to 50 percent thereafter. The effective date for the increase in rating is not specified.