Depression decisions — 2021

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, alcohol dependency, adjustment disorder with mixed disturbances of emotions and conduct, and PTSD, is granted as service connected. The heart disease claim is denied.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for fibromyalgia and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete medical records. The issues will be deferred until the private facility records can be obtained.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include PTSD, due to incomplete compliance with its March 2021 remand directives and inadequate VA examination opinions. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to corroborate the Veteran's claimed stressors and obtain a VA examiner's opinion on the nature and etiology of his diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is related to his service-connected disabilities and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted with a rating of 70 percent, effective from March 4, 2019. The appeal for increased ratings and service connection remains pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability prior to June 2, 2009 as there is no evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's back disability is granted as service connection due to an in-service motor vehicle accident (MVA).,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is granted as service connection due to military sexual trauma during active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, are being reviewed again with a new examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent prior to December 13, 2019, for service-connected PTSD with persistent major depressive disorder and a TDIU claim due to incomplete VA treatment records from the Bedford VAMC and Boston VAMC. The Board will obtain these missing records before making a final decision.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's disabilities did not have their onset in service or within one year of his discharge from active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and related conditions was reopened due to new evidence. The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and claustrophobia with depression and anxiety, is related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including depressive disorder, chronic edema, left leg neuropathy, and numbness, tingling, and pain in the toes of the left foot. The issues are related to secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a 50% rating for PTSD with MDD is granted. The claim for TDIU remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination opinions and failure to comply with prior remand instructions regarding service connection for sleep apnea secondary to hypertension, coronary artery disease, and major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, is denied. The Veteran's alcohol use disorder is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is rated at 30 percent, but no higher, for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding SSA records that may contain relevant information about the Veteran's psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed. The previously denied claim of hypertension was reopened and granted a 50% evaluation. The initial evaluation for depressive disorder was granted at 50%. Other claims were remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed depression and anxiety, are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that his current psychiatric disorders did not have their onset in service and are not otherwise related to service.