Depression decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the VA did not substantially comply with its prior remand directives and requires further development to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his deployment to Southwest Asia.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease due to new and material evidence, but has remanded the claims for service connection for a back condition and depression due to insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran was struck by a model airplane/drone in his mid-back during service.

The Board has determined that the remand is necessary due to inadequate opinions provided by the VA examiner regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically his social and occupational functioning.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorder, as well as his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The VA is required to obtain updated treatment records, verify the in-service stressor, and provide a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and OSA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.

The Veteran's MDD is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and the claim for service connection of MDD is granted. The Veteran's back disability (claimed as lumbar radiculopathy) is also granted due to its being related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee and hip disabilities, as well as depression. The claims for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (as due to service-connected disabilities), and bilateral eye disability are remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The examiner must address these issues and provide a rationale for their conclusions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran's service records do not provide sufficient evidence to support his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, other than PTSD, dry eye syndrome secondary to diabetes mellitus, and major depressive and anxiety disorders are all granted. The Veteran is also awarded an increased rating for his psychiatric conditions. However, the ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities remain at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left ankle degenerative arthritis, bilateral lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, and right ankle strain, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these service-connected disabilities.

The rating reduction from 70% to 50% for PTSD with depression effective January 1, 2019 was improper. The Veteran's PTSD has not improved enough to warrant a lower rating. The case is remanded for further examination and readjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as PTSD and depression, is granted service connection because it is etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between his PTSD, depression, and tinnitus and his in-service events. The VA will provide additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected bronchial asthma.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to exclude PTSD and to include anxiety disorder and depression disorder. The weight of the evidence shows that this condition was incurred in or caused by active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical opinions and need for clarification regarding certain issues. The Veteran's back, left arm, and left leg conditions are all being reviewed in relation to his service-connected pericarditis.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to July 31, 2015, and from January 2, 2016, to the present is remanded due to inconsistencies in his educational and occupational history.,The Veteran's appeal seeking an increased initial evaluation for service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder is also remanded as there are conflicting findings regarding the disability rating.