Depression decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine if his acquired psychiatric disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service or his service-connected major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder beginning July 13, 2009 is denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a 100% rating due to his intermittent suicidal ideation and other symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury during service and no relationship between current depression and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to obtain relevant Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, is also being remanded as the VA examination report was inadequate.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability is being remanded because the VA examiner did not provide sufficient information regarding his claimed dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis.

The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to April 25, 2012 is being remanded for extraschedular consideration due to insufficient evidence of unemployability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety NOS, and MDD. The Board finds that additional development is necessary due to the need to verify a specific in-service stressor and obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of any diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD rating is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition. Service connection claims for left shoulder DJD and lower back pain are also remanded due to outstanding treatment records and need for medical opinions on etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Additional development is needed to provide a substantive rationale for the nexus opinions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a disorder manifested by fatigue separate and distinct from his respiratory disorders, to include his service-connected asbestosis. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to asbestosis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, currently diagnosed as PTSD and MDD, finding that it is etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of reopening his service connection for depression and has also determined that he is entitled to service connection for major depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms due to aggravation by a pre-existing condition (migraine headaches).

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, but he did not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as he had less than a ten-year total disability rating at the time of his death.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 100 percent for the appellant's hypothyroidism with cold intolerance, hair and skin changes, fatigue, and major depressive disorder. The criteria for a 100 percent rating have been met.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder. The remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, and a left arm condition are remanded due to the inextricability of these claims with respect to the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than major depressive disorder (MDD), to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); increased ratings for right ankle and knee disorders; and entitlement to a total disability rating based upon unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are being remanded as the Board finds that there is insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric condition, right ankle and knee disorders, and the occurrence of his reported witnessing of a fellow Marine's death during training.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension and PTSD was denied. The earlier effective date claim for PTSD was also denied.

The Board dismissed all issues related to service connection and new and material evidence claims due to the Veteran's death. The appeal is dismissed without prejudice.