Depression decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his lumbar spine disability, as he does not have loss of use of one or more lower extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and insomnia).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations to assess her breast cancer and depressive disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, scheduling a psychiatric examination, and providing opinions on service connection and aggravation of pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and mental illness for treatment purposes are remanded. The claim for increased rating of ischemic heart disease is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for psychiatric disability, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety, has been dismissed as the Veteran requested its withdrawal in a July 2017 correspondence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and depression, as well as a low back disability. The Veteran needs to be provided with new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression have been rated at 70 percent since July 31, 2012. The Board found that the symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as there is no total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected GAD has been rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum rating available for this condition. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depression, are not service-connected due to the lack of corroborated stressors and inadequate medical opinions. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The case is remanded for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, characterized as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and social phobia, is rated at 70 percent since August 19, 2009. The Board denied a higher rating because the impairment did not meet the criteria for a 100% disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and a sleep disorder, as well as bilateral hearing loss. Additional development is required to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder are related to active duty service, and a rating of 20 percent for thoracolumbar strain is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for dysthymia, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder with PTSD) due to new evidence. The claim is granted as there is a reasonable possibility that the current diagnoses are related to service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is not service-connected.,There is no legal entitlement to an earlier effective date for the depressive disorder prior to May 13, 2011.

The previously denied claims for back strain, diabetes mellitus type II, and an acquired mental health condition are reopened. The claim of service connection for asthma is denied.,The previously denied claims for sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and myasthenia gravis are also remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and depression. The case is remanded due to incomplete medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for various psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder. The case is being reviewed de novo due to new evidence added in October 2012. A VA psychiatric examination is needed to determine if any of these conditions are related to service, particularly the sexual assault claimed during service.