Depression decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, speech impairment, hypertension, memory and cognitive impairment, and depression as secondary to Parkinson's disease due to in-service exposure to chemical solvents and jet fuel.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, anxiety, and depression have been rated at 70 percent since March 29, 2013, due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine DDD and radiculopathy. His lumbar spine DDD is granted a 40% rating, which is the maximum available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and an unspecified anxiety disorder, is remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for depression with anxiety, and has remanded the issues of service connection for a back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disability, migraine headaches, psychiatric disability (including PTSD), rectum disability, and bilateral eye disability due to lack of a medical opinion on their etiology.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder, recurrent with polysubstance abuse, resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Board found the severity, frequency, and duration of his symptoms more closely approximated a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder is granted as service-connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected depressive disorder was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for his depressive disorder was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD and a higher rating for depressive disorder with anxious features due to new evidence received since the last decision.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are found to have been incurred during service.,His unspecified depressive disorder is determined to be secondary to his service-connected migraine headaches.,Bilateral hearing loss is denied as not related to service.,Back, neck, left knee, and right knee disorders are all denied as not related to service.,Right eye and left eye disorders are also denied as not related to service.,Diabetes mellitus is denied as not related to service.,Peripheral neuropathy in the upper extremities and lower extremities are both denied as not related to service.

Service connection for major depressive disorder is restored, and the appeal regarding an increased rating from April 1, 2014 to November 7, 2014 is granted. The Veteran's current rating of 30 percent for major depressive disorder remains effective since April 1, 2014.

The Veteran's service connection for depression as a separate disability from PTSD is denied, and his initial rating for type II diabetes mellitus remains at 20 percent. The TDIU issue is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for other specified depressive disorder. The remaining issues of service connection for lumbar disability, hypertension, prostate disability (benign prostate hypertrophy), and initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for diabetes mellitus are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information to corroborate the Veteran's stressors and a need for a VA examination to determine if he suffers from an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's service treatment records do not show he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or sarcoidosis during his active service. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on these issues because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s multiple sclerosis and/or sarcoidosis may be related to his active service, including the in-service anthrax vaccinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, headaches, sleep apnea, and GERD has been granted. The claims for hypertension have not met the criteria.

The Veteran's use of knee braces for service-connected disabilities is causing damage to his clothing, and he is granted a VA clothing allowance for the year 2017.