Depression decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder is related to his military service, including combat experiences during deployment in Southwest Asia. As a result, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically Major Depressive Disorder, is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, NOS are related to his military service, including his verified personal assault during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to April 8, 2016 or a higher rating thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the Board also found no basis for a higher rating on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder and PTSD are not related to his service-connected fibromyalgia, and therefore cannot be granted secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed mental health conditions, as well as whether they are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain updated treatment records and provide the Veteran with an examination to determine if his acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is rated at 70 percent disabling beginning on November 25, 2014. The claim for service connection for right ear perforated tympanic membrane has been reopened and new evidence received raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU were denied. The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the August 1974 rating decision, which denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and depression are found to have caused his erectile dysfunction, with the Board granting service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying her claim for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting further medical examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed low back, right ankle, and depression disabilities.

The Board has determined that the reduction in the rating for PTSD from 70% to 30% was not proper and therefore, the prior rating is restored.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been reopened, but the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied as there is no current diagnosis of hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and depressive disorder is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including asthma and various musculoskeletal issues. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain SSA records and translate Spanish documents.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including CLL, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, hypertension, headaches, GERD, lumbar spine disorder, shoulder disorders, hip disorders, leg disorders, and a psychiatric disorder are denied. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not established as prior to January 23, 2014.

The Veteran's MDD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's mental health conditions have been rated based on their current manifestations, with the depressive disorder receiving a 30% rating prior to April 27, 2016 and unspecified anxiety disorder receiving no compensable rating. The coronary artery disease has not met the criteria for any higher ratings since April 27, 2016. The effective date for TDIU remains at April 27, 2016.