Depression decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the current claim on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's death was not determined to be due to a service-connected disability, including those presumed due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the claimant.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders. The issues of service connection are pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including lung disability, bilateral knee and hip disabilities, low back disability, neck disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and depressive disorder. The new evidence supports reopening these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted. The initial ratings for stress fractures of the left and right legs remain at 10 percent.

The Veteran's initial 50 percent rating for residuals of a hysterectomy was reduced to 30 percent effective February 1, 2015 due to clear and unmistakable error. The Veteran is now entitled to restoration of the 50 percent rating.,For the entire rating period, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability approximated a 40 percent rating based on limitation of motion and functional loss due to pain, with consideration of flare-ups and lack of endurance. An initial 50 percent rating is granted for this condition.,The acquired psychiatric disorder has not met the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, MDD and adjustment disorder, are found to be service-connected as the evidence shows a current diagnosis, an in-service stressor verified by the RO, and a link between the current symptoms and the verified stressor.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has requested a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Depressive Disorder. The current appeal is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder are related to his in-service experiences, including a reported attack on a convoy by German submarines. As the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are service-connected, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to ensure compliance with its duty to notify the Veteran of alternative means of proving a claim of entitlement to service-connected PTSD based on a personal assault stressor.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that his current psychiatric disorders are related to military service.

For the entire period on appeal, the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder symptoms have more nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. Symptoms of total occupational and social impairment have not been demonstrated.,The Veteran is currently assigned a 70 percent disability rating for his service-connected psychiatric disorder effective June 9, 2016.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with TBI has been productive of occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent evaluation. The other issues have not met the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hair loss and depression are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination by a dermatologist and a VA psychological evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder and anemia, but denied peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's claims are remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for major depression with psychotic features and a personality disorder as secondary to his service-connected bronchitis have been denied multiple times. The evidence received since the previous decisions is considered cumulative or redundant, and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's right testicle disability was rated at 10 percent from December 12, 2008 to August 19, 2013. From August 20, 2013 onwards, the rating was increased to 40 percent.