Depression decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and adjustment disorder. The Veteran's active service included exposure to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity.

The Veteran's kidney disorder and psychiatric disability are being remanded for further development.,His back disorder is also being remanded, as it may be related to his service-connected kidney disorder.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased evaluation of right knee chondromalacia and granted service connection for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety. The claim for increased evaluation of left knee chondromalacia is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting evidence and the need for a new examination. The examiner must determine if any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, caused by service-connected disabilities, or aggravated by them.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right shoulder strain disabilities are granted at a 20 percent rating, effective from the date of the claim. The Veteran's depressive disorder NOS is not rated higher than 50 percent.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is granted as secondary to service-connected DM, type II. PTSD and MDD are granted due to combat service in Vietnam. The claim for hypertension is reopened.

The Board has denied reopening the claim for service connection for Tietze's syndrome due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's other claims have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is rated at 30 percent, effective from October 6, 2007. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including eye and vision issues, hearing loss, knee problems, back pain, leg numbness/weakness, psychiatric conditions, and heart disability. The appeals are pending further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive episode without psychotic features and other conditions, as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability. The evidence submitted was not new and material.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus was denied, with the Board finding that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria warranting a higher than 20 percent rating prior to December 17, 2015 and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.,A compensable rating (10%) was granted for headaches associated with hypertension. The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for MDD and PTSD from August 11, 2009 until February 23, 2012 was granted, with a maximum of 50 percent.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for MDD and PTSD from February 23, 2012 to April 17, 2017 was granted at the maximum schedular rating (70%), based on occupational and social impairment due to deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran was denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ASHD, ED, OSA, and MDD. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for Parkinson's disease was also remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for depression, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of an examination for left ear hearing loss and because new evidence may be relevant to reopening claims for depression and anxiety. The Veteran's service records show he served aboard Naval vessels, which could have exposed him to noise during his active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, recurrent major depressive disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer and prostatectomy residuals. The claim for a lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Board has decided that another VA examination is necessary to assess whether the Veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD related to an in-service stressor and to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury or event.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist condition and acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and depression, but has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service.