Depression decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, and/or depression, has been reopened. The case is being remanded to obtain verification of the reported stressor event related to service and to provide a nexus opinion regarding all current diagnoses in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service personal assault and its relation to his current psychiatric conditions. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection claims and a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder is rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran has been granted a TDIU from July 3, 2018.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including VA examinations and opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no current diagnosis of a mental disorder based on DSM-V criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression as these conditions are found to be at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to her in-service personal assault, and the Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on credible supporting evidence of the stressor.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a current psychiatric disability and that any diagnosed conditions are not related to his active duty or service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and hypertension are all granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU is granted effective February 28, 2004.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder and could not establish a link between his in-service use of anti-malarial medication, specifically doxycycline and primaquine, and any current psychiatric condition. The claim for service connection was denied.

The petition to reopen the previously disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for mental health condition (claimed as depression, schizophrenic reaction/paranoid schizophrenia, nervous condition, and insomnia) is granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for chest pain is dismissed. The issue of entitlement to service connection for respiratory condition is also dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection for a TBI and its residuals, as well as his increased rating for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder to 70%, are granted. However, his request for a total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) rating remains denied.

The Board has ordered a new VA mental health examination to determine the severity and functional impact of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including Alzheimer's disease. The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with this issue.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The VA examiner is asked to provide opinions on whether each diagnosed condition is related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been reopened and granted. However, the claims for both an acquired psychiatric disorder and PTSD have been denied due to lack of medical evidence showing a nexus between current mental health issues and service.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to PTSD, MDD, sleep apnea, left shoulder strain, recurrent headaches, hypertension, DDD of the lumbar spine, cervical DDD, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and a heart condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's conditions are related to service, specifically his seizure disorder and acquired psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for depression and a TDIU prior to October 11, 2016 are being remanded due to conflicting evidence of record.