Depression decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the appellant's current PTSD and MDD are causally linked to his active service, including verified in-service stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD with MDD is granted.

The Veteran's depression with anxious distress has resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and a need for further development of the record.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for depressive disorder was granted with an effective date of March 10, 2011.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also granted with an effective date of March 10, 2011.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a left shoulder disorder, and major depressive disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or any presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records. The issues of service connection for various conditions are pending.

The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's diagnosed depressive disorder and anxiety disorder are related to service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hearing loss. The TDIU claim will also be addressed in light of any new psychiatric symptoms reported by the Veteran.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has PTSD related to his military service, and therefore grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder.

The Board has recharacterized the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that the current records do not provide sufficient information to make a decision on the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder. Therefore, a new VA examination is required.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected impaired sphincter control, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and hemorrhoids. The Board grants service connection for depression as secondary to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete record, specifically the in-patient hospitalization records from Fort Ord, California. The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is currently March 7, 2011, and the Veteran's claim may be eligible for a prior effective date based on new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and mood disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims.

The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as major depressive disorder, is related to active service. However, there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 7, 2010, for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder (claimed as anxiety/depression) is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration disability records. A VA examination will be scheduled to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, to include PTSD and depression.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the remaining issues.