Depression decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's anxiety disorder is related to his service. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD, including associated alcohol problem and depressive disorder is being remanded due to outstanding mental health treatment records from the Vet Center in Culver City and UCLA Behavioral Health Associates.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied, and his claim for an initial evaluation greater than 70 percent for MDD is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connection claim for PTSD is denied, but he is granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records and arrange for a new VA examination by a different clinician.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot disability and TDIU prior to January 24, 2011. The evidence did not support a finding that her current right foot condition was related to her military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc syndrome are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and requests for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran is granted TDIU for the period prior to September 23, 2017 due to his service-connected Major Depressive Disorder. For the period from September 23, 2017 onwards, he has a combined rating of 100% and is deemed unemployable based on his service-connected Major Depressive Disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further evaluation. The appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The decision also covers other psychiatric conditions including depressive disorder and cognitive impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and major depressive disorder have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a preexisting condition or aggravation during service. The Board also found insufficient medical evidence to establish a direct link between the current conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD with depressive disorder, NOS and alcohol abuse in partial remission, chloracne with icepick scars not disabling, and diabetes mellitus type II were denied initially in 2009 and 2013. The effective dates of these grants of service connection are set at March 20, 2015.,The Veteran's eligibility for Dependents’ Educational Assistance prior to March 1, 2016 is also denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a right knee condition, depression with suicidal tendencies, and drug addiction/dependency due to new evidence indicating potential causation or foreseeability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with persistent depressive disorder has been granted a 70 percent disability rating for the entire appeal period, effective August 12, 2015. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected PTSD was also granted prior to April 21, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability evaluation greater than 30 percent for other specified trauma-stress related disorder, also claimed as PTSD and depression, has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for depression, urticaria, and skin disorder were denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis, considering the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The decision is effective from the date of death, December 2015.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 27, 2014 for the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.