Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% disability rating from December 18, 2017, to February 4, 2019. From February 5, 2019, the Veteran's PTSD results in deficiencies in most areas but not total impairment, warranting a 70% disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disabilities, including personality disorder, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive disorder. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his heart disability, hypertension, knee disabilities, and TDIU prior to June 1, 2012.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional service connection claims.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for anaphylaxis and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active service.

The Board has denied service connection for a disorder manifested by shortness of breath and remanded the issues regarding diabetes mellitus, PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder with anxiety disorder associated with PTSD, hypertension, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in April 2006, and the denial became final. New evidence received since then did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied as there was no competent evidence showing that it was related to service.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating of headaches has been granted, with a 50 percent disability rating.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (major depressive disorder and panic disorder) has also been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent rating for tinnitus from August 26, 2013 is granted. The earlier effective date and compensable rating claims are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for MDD and insomnia disorder, finding that there is at least a 50-50 balance of evidence to support this decision. The Board concluded that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are related to his in-service experiences.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of hypothyroidism is granted, and his TDIU based on depression is denied.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the August 2010 VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's PTSD, as the Court found that the Board did not comply with its previous May 2017 remand order. The new service records include the Veteran's entrance examination and other military personnel records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and an acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the medical evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating than the current 70 percent, as it did not show total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder had its onset during his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, due to lack of jurisdiction under the modernized appeals system (AMA).

The claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for major depressive disorder prior to July 2, 2019 is denied. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to major depressive disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder does not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.