Depression decisions — 2018

The Board has denied service connection for a heart murmur and remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, mood disorder, depression, and adjustment disorder) and sleep apnea. The Veteran is to be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent since March 5, 2017. The rating will remain at this level until further notice.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for service connection of low back strain and major depression should be June 29, 2007. However, both claims are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder. Additional development is required to verify in-service stressors and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of any diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD, OCD, and Depression have been rated at 70 percent disabling. The Board has found that the criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Veteran's rating for PTSD, depressive disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse was restored to 100 percent effective January 1, 2012. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to September 14, 2015 is now moot.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his PTSD and other conditions, leading the Board to grant a TDIU effective September 19, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically whether PTSD is related to his combat experience in Vietnam. Additionally, updated treatment records are needed, and an examination is required to assess the nature and etiology of hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing inpatient records from Stuttgart, Germany where the Veteran was hospitalized for both his right-hand lacerations and psychiatric symptoms. The VA is instructed to obtain these records.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions were not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence. The issues include seeking an increased evaluation for PTSD and major depressive disorder, as well as TDIU.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety/stress-related depression (also claimed as major depression/any acquired psychiatric condition) due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a 50% rating, but no more. The issue of TDIU is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as his claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine DDD and left thigh meralgia paresthetica. The reasons are that the VA examinations were insufficient for rating purposes and new evidence is needed to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of various psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, is remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation and opinion regarding his diagnoses.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a shell fragment wound of the left buttock and major depressive disorder with unspecified trauma disorder, have prevented him from securing and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment since April 16, 2010.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for PTSD, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are secondary to his service-connected shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is also being remanded for further examination and opinion.