Depression decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for major depressive disorder, endometriosis, and migraine headaches, as well as her claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability. The reasons are that there may be outstanding Social Security Administration records not yet associated with her file, and she needs to provide more details about her employment in 2019.

Service connection is granted for GERD, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, tinnitus, PTSD and major depressive disorder.,Service connection is denied for hyperlipidemia.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical examination and development of records. The Veteran is advised to provide any necessary releases for VA treatment providers who may have relevant information.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, a depressive disorder, and a substance-related disorder), and sleep apnea as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder. Additional evidence is needed from VA treatment records and Social Security Administration.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, including those from the JSRRC and VA providers. The Veteran's reported traumatic experiences of witnessing two soldiers commit suicide in 1980 need to be verified.

The Veteran's service connection claim for unspecified trauma-and stressor-related disorder is granted.,Service connection claims for other knee, back, nerve, and skin conditions are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and new evidence, requiring a more detailed examination and opinion regarding the service connection for depression.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development in the examination reports, requiring a new medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders other than PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for Alzheimer's type dementia but denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's Alzheimer's dementia is found to be related to his active duty service, while no current evidence of a separate acquired psychiatric disorder was found during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with major depressive disorder was granted. Claims for other conditions were denied or remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disability and entitlement to TDIU due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to the need for further development of his claims. This includes obtaining private treatment records from Plateau Mental Health Center, Knoxville Veteran Center for PTSD counseling, and Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System. The VA examiner will also be asked to provide a medical opinion regarding the nature and origin of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent prior to September 21, 2020. A TDIU was granted for the period prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and esophageal cancer. The issues are related to whether his current conditions are linked to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's death was not due to service-connected conditions, and the Board is remanding for further development regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is reopened. The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding stressors and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is granted service connection. The claims for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding in-service exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for TBI, its residuals, and an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD and depression are granted. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran has these conditions due to military sexual trauma (MST).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he is not unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder to include as due to service-connected ADHD. The remand is required because the VA examiners did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service noise exposure and symptoms.