Depression decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety, bipolar II disorder, and borderline personality disorder, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were not aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, prostate cancer residuals with prostatectomy residuals, ventral hernia repair residuals, diabetes mellitus, and multiple radiculopathies, make him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the TDIU.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and sleep disorder was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim is granted as it meets the criteria for establishing entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD, along with other specified depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder in remission, resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks prior to April 20, 2017. The Board found that the current rating of 30 percent was appropriate.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Persistent Depressive Disorder, due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the diagnoses found during the June 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, is remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's depressive disorder, NOS is granted as secondary to his service-connected back and right shoulder disabilities. The rating for spondylosis of the lumbar spine remains at 20 percent, while the rating for degenerative joint disease, right shoulder, also remains at 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for severe depression is remanded due to the submission of additional medical records. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include PTSD, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and medical opinion using DSM-5 criteria.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, depression, and TDIU due to incomplete records and need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including depression and PTSD, is related to his service. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression due to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, specifically PTSD, anxiety and depression.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent rating. The TDIU claim is granted as well.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and depression, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since January 12, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Depression is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the criteria for entitlement to service connection have been met, and thus grants service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, and secondary to service-connected depressive disorder or residuals of stress fracture in the left foot.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board denied service connection for major depressive disorder as it is not established that the Veteran has a current mental health disability, and there is no evidence to support a secondary service connection based on his right hip stress fracture.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches associated with PTSD and major depressive disorder are rated at 50 percent effective from March 13, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with major depressive disorder was denied, but he received an effective date of May 12, 2007, for the grant of a 70 percent rating.,He also received an earlier effective date of May 12, 2007, for the award of TDIU due to service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder.