Depression decisions — 2019

Service connection has been granted for depression, headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea. An effective date prior to December 22, 2014 for service connection of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.,A 10% evaluation for mechanical lower back pain was granted with an effective date of February 6, 2014. Claims for earlier effective dates were dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and depression was initially denied in December 2015. The Board has now reopened the claim due to new evidence received since then, which relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (the occurrence of a personal assault during service). The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his in-service personal assault and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for clotrimazole and hydrophilic creams due to lack of connection with a service-connected skin disability. The case is remanded for further consideration regarding the bilateral knee braces.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, was denied. The Veteran also had a noncompensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left shoulder condition, head injury, and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are not service-connected.,Service connection for major depressive disorder is remanded.

The Veteran was granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine effective April 1, 2009.,TDIU based on major depressive disorder and other service-connected disabilities was also granted effective April 1, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Agent Orange exposure is denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are currently rated as the maximum allowed under VA regulations. The Veteran's psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder) and left index finger disability require further examination to determine appropriate ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional notice and development regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, MDD, and PTSD, are found to have begun in service and continue since then. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder and depressive disorder, has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, as secondary to his service-connected keloid scars. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s psychiatric disorders were caused by or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral flat feet and a psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is required to provide new and material evidence or undergo further examination.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and brain cancer, but granted service connection for depression. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for brain cancer.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the evaluation of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. However, there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric condition, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The remaining issues are remanded for further development and examination.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD with alcohol abuse, also claimed as major depression was denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with alcohol abuse, also claimed as major depression, is set at December 3, 2002.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral pes planus is denied as there is no evidence of aggravation beyond its natural progression.,Service connection for bilateral hallux valgus, to include as secondary to bilateral pes planus, is also denied due to lack of a nexus between the current disability and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate VA hearing and failure to comply with duty to assist. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, are granted as they are linked to her in-service stressors of military sexual trauma.

The Veteran's claims for GERD, Depression, Bilateral Knee Disorder, and Bilateral Hip Disorder were denied. The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for a menstrual disorder was granted. Service connection for fatigue, tendinitis, and bilateral thigh disorder was denied.