Depression decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and private medical records, scheduling VA examinations to address his claimed psychiatric and orthopedic disabilities, and readjudication of the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic muscular strain low back, depressive disorder, degenerative disease of the right ankle, Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the left knee, tinnitus, arthritis of the right knee, and right ear hearing loss, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are found to preclude gainful employment, and a TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred in service. The rating for PTSD with depressive disorder prior to April 2, 2014 is granted at 30 percent. The rating for TBI with central vertigo prior to April 2, 2014 is also granted at 30 percent.

The Veteran's current PTSD is related to an in-service stressor and the Board finds service connection for PTSD is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed PTSD or depression, and his claimed acquired psychiatric disorders are not shown to be causally related to service. The initial compensable evaluation for chronic daily headaches with migrainous features is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder with somatic symptoms and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The remaining issues have been remanded as they require further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a PTSD personal assault stressor letter and another VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorders and hearing loss/tinnitus.

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for the claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disability, or bilateral hearing loss disability.,All three disabilities were not shown to be related to military service.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be related to service, and his TDIU claim is granted due to the combined effects of his depression and right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability, left hip disorder, and bilateral foot disorder have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for depression has also been denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a sinus disability and granted it. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for MDD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability and heart disability are not attributable to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder, NOS were found to be disabling enough to warrant a 50 percent initial rating prior to September 27, 2012. From that date, the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a rating decision assigning a disability rating and effective date for the award of service connection for depression. The TDIU and nonservice-connected pension issues will be reconsidered after this.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability manifested in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to August 1, 2011 was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied compensable ratings for depression and gastritis and duodenitis from March 8, 2000.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and depressive disorder, are found to be related to service due to continuous symptoms since separation. Service connection is granted.