Depression decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety), a gastrointestinal disability (including gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)), and insomnia due to outstanding records from service treatment and personnel records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with depression, is rated at a 70 percent disability rating prior to July 7, 2016. The claim for a higher than 70 percent rating is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral diabetic retinopathy with pseudophakia, depression, fatigue, and communication difficulties (speech) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Meniere’s disease with bilateral hearing loss. The rating assigned for Meniere’s disease was 80 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical opinions on whether the appellant was insane at the time of his offenses leading to a bad conduct discharge.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors. The conditions of interest include dental issues, hallux valgus of the feet, pseudofolliculitis barbae, right ankle condition, varicocele condition, low back condition, left knee condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headache condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, headache disability, hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), and hypertension. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for an increased rating for a low back disability is dismissed.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy are granted.,The issue of service connection for type two diabetes mellitus and the acquired psychiatric condition (previously claimed as bipolar disorder, depression, and cyclothymic disorder) is remanded for additional development.,The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back, shoulder, and knee conditions, are found to have caused his depression.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including intestinal condition (diverticulitis), skin disability (residuals of dermatitis venenata), right shoulder disability, sleep apnea, psychiatric disability (major depression), heart disability, and prostate disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these disabilities began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee conditions, as well as a psychiatric condition (unspecified depressive disorder), but denied service connection for high cholesterol. The decision also remanded the Veteran's claim for hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder.,The Veteran’s lumbar strain disability remains at a 20% rating, with no changes in the current rating period.,The RO improperly reduced the Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome and postoperative lateral meniscectomy ratings. The original ratings of 30% and 10%, respectively, are restored.,The Veteran’s left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is rated at 20% for the period prior to September 25, 2015, and at 70% thereafter due to major depressive disorder (previously characterized as adjustment disorder with mixed mood).,TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The rating for his depressive disorder and adjustment disorder needs to be remanded, as does the TDIU claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than anxiety and depression to include PTSD is remanded due to incomplete records and inconsistent statements from the Veteran.

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

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorders is remanded. The neck condition rating appeal is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his priapism and resulting erectile dysfunction. The effective date for the grant of a 20% disability rating for priapism is denied.

The Board has denied a temporary total rating for major depression with anxiety features and remanded the issue of service connection for PTSD.

The Board has granted the reopening of a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depression. The case is now remanded to obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current diagnosis of depression is related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression is rated at 70 percent from October 3, 2011 to October 7, 2014 and remains at that rating thereafter. The evidence shows significant impairment in most areas due to symptoms such as anxiety, depressed mood, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, chronic sleep impairment, and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.