Depression decisions — 2018

The Veteran's depressive disorder with history of dysthymic disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that his claim for an increased rating warrants a grant of service connection effective June 5, 1995.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, and skin disability due to potential issues with medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's service connection claim is based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability to include generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and PTSD is reopened. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability to include generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and PTSD is granted. Service connection for other conditions such as cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, and benign prostate hyperplasia are remanded.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability has been reopened. The Veteran's current musculoskeletal spine condition may be related to his in-service low back pain, but the evidence does not establish that it began during or within one year after service.,The Veteran's right foot scar is currently assigned a 10 percent evaluation and no higher as there is no indication of instability or pain. The Veteran’s current employment status due to his psychiatric disability is also under consideration.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for recurrent major depression and paranoid schizophrenia, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a lumbar condition as secondary to post-operative residuals, total right knee replacement. The Veteran was granted entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder were rated at 30 percent prior to February 3, 2010. From February 3, 2010, to July 27, 2010, the rating was increased to 70 percent. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating from July 28, 2010 onward.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically depression, is not related to service. The Board denied this claim.,The Veteran's acne vulgaris with furunculosis and scarring was rated at 30 percent based on residual scarring affecting more than two characteristics of disfigurement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder, is caused by his service-connected otitis media, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. As such, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.

The appeal on the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction is dismissed.,An effective date of August 1, 2008 for an evaluation of 100 percent for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is granted. The Veteran filed a claim for increased compensation on June 30, 2009 and the VA awarded him a 100 percent rating for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma effective April 14, 2009.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding his anxiety disorder.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II. The claim for reopening and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including major depressive disorder) is reopened, but the issue of whether it is related to service remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for seborrheic and atopic dermatitis and depression due to new evidence received prior to certification and transfer of the appeals to the Board in June 2015.

The Veteran's claims for SMC based on need for aid and attendance of another person, housebound status, special home adaptation or specially adapted housing, and automobile adaptive equipment are remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding his service-connected conditions.

Service connection for lung cancer is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for Guillain-Barre Syndrome and depression are remanded as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD, depression, and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The Veteran is now rated at 70% for PTSD.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorders, except for personality disorder, are not related to service. The claim is granted as the reopening of the claim and denied on merits.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is granted service connection, and he is awarded TDIU prior to November 17, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for dermatitis and depression, finding no current diagnoses or evidence of in-service events that could support these claims. The Veteran's CAD is currently rated at 30 percent.