Depression decisions — 2019

The Veteran's spondylosis cervical spine C5-C6 was aggravated while on active duty, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD with features of depression, anxiety and chronic sleep impairment is currently rated at 70 percent. The Board found that the symptoms do not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to hip disabilities and depressive disorder. The Board has remanded these issues for further review, including service connection determinations.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for major depressive disorder was denied. The Board found that the earliest effective date for service connection is June 17, 2009, as no correspondence prior to this date can be construed as a formal or informal claim. The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted due to his service-connected depression preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, based on a current diagnosis related to verified in-service stressors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 13, 2010 for the award of service connection of other specified depressive disorder. The claim is remanded for the RO to assign a disability rating in the first instance.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and anxiety, is granted as service connected. The Board found that the current disability is related to in-service events.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of anxiety disorders and adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression are related to his service, including combat exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, Major Depression, and related disabilities are granted. The claims for CFS, fibromyalgia, and a skin disability are denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded because the VA examiner did not address whether his depression could be a contributing factor to his sleep apnea. The case will need to be reviewed with an updated examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The claims include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, secondary to coronary artery disease, and a claim for an initial compensable evaluation for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and nightmares, is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of such a condition.

The Veteran's depression and bilateral hearing loss have been granted initial ratings of 50 percent each, effective December 16, 2016. The Veteran has also been granted TDIU due to service-connected disabilities since that date.

The Board has granted service connection for major depression as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for a back disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including rating reductions and earlier effective dates. The specific claims include right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, chronic thoracolumbar spine strain, cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, major depressive disorder, right ankle posttraumatic degenerative changes, left hand scar, right hip degenerative joint disease, ear nerve damage, left wrist flexor tendinitis, right wrist flexor tendinitis, tinnitus, left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, sleep disorder, arthritis of the wrists and hands associated with service-connected carpel tunnel syndrome, type II diabetes mellitus. The Board has not reached a decision on these claims at this time.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for depressive disorder has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and related complications such as neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities and depression, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 17, 2012. The effective date for this TDIU is set at June 17, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected left ear hearing loss was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 5, 2014, for the grant of a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) was also denied.