Depression decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinions regarding all acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran should be provided with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the April 2019 rating decision because the appellant has already received the correct amount of attorney fees, and the Veteran was paid the full amount withheld based on an Audit Error Worksheet.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression and anxious mood has been rated at 50 percent, but the Board granted a 70 percent rating based on her suicidal ideation and other symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, finding that the Veteran's consistent and credible lay statements, combined with his military and medical records, place the evidence in equipoise as to whether he experienced the death of a shipmate during service. The VA examiner concluded it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s currently diagnosed PTSD was due to his naval service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and TDIU due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and unspecified depressive disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between his current conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted service connection. The issues of diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, multiple myeloma, and hepatitis are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities, should be remanded for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse has not caused total occupational and social impairment, so the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate June 2018 VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorders related to his service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate consideration of relevant evidence in the previous decisions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, has been reopened. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of the claim and determined that there is a reasonable possibility that his current psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current diagnoses and military service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, finding that there is no evidence to support a diagnosis or link between these conditions and his military service. The case is being remanded again due to incomplete medical records and lack of proper opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board dismissed the issue of whether new and material evidence was received to reopen service connection for a back disorder. The Veteran's major depressive disorder is now rated at 70 percent, effective from January 31, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, major depression, and personality disorder, is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination. The examiner did not address the Veteran’s STRs, lay statements, and other evidence.