Depression decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded both issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and seborrheic dermatitis of the face, scalp and ears with psychogenic excoriation of the skin due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and vitiligo, as well as their impact on his acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's hearing loss and PTSD are not rated higher than the current levels, with a noncompensable rating for hearing loss and a 70% rating for PTSD prior to January 22, 2020.

The Veteran's somatic symptoms disorder with depression and anxiety, right ear hearing loss, bilateral shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and chondromalacia, bilateral ankle strain, and left foot condition (various diagnoses) have all been granted service connection.,An initial compensable rating for a post appendectomy scar has not been met.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD with anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder has been granted.,The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU prior to June 30, 2009 have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right arm numbness, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea due to potential discrepancies in diagnoses and need for further examination.

The Veteran's MDD with Bipolar Disorder is granted a 70 percent disability rating prior to August 21, 2015. A compensable rating for the left hernia is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's psychiatric diagnoses and their relation to service. An addendum opinion is needed to determine if his current diagnoses of major depression in remission and anxiety are related to events during service.

The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted as of March 14, 2011 due to his service-connected disabilities. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea has been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and Depressive Disorder due to missing VA treatment records from specific time periods. A medical opinion is needed to assess the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's major depressive disorder and sleep apnea disability. The VA examiner is requested to review all pertinent records, including service treatment records and post-service medical records.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for sleep apnea and entitlement to TDIU due to unresolved medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from March 1, 2014. The claim for earlier effective date of SMC based on housebound status is denied as the Veteran was not permanently confined to his home prior to January 23, 2014.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD. A VA mental health examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, heart disability (other than coronary artery disease), and psychiatric disability due to inadequate medical opinions and need for additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the etiology of hypertension. The Veteran is also requested to complete a VA Form 21-8940 to provide information about his employment history.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD, anxiety, and depression), skin condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are not supported by sufficient evidence to grant service connection. The cases have been remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for clarification of all diagnosed mental health disorders since the date of the claim. The Veteran must be scheduled for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder that may be present. The Veteran's discharge from service is considered under honorable conditions for some periods but under other than honorable conditions for others.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for extraschedular consideration due to his service-connected disabilities prior to June 6, 2019.