Depression decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left foot disability and depressive disorder, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of July 2, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury all related to an in-service personal assault.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether his acquired psychiatric disorder, TBI, gastrointestinal disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral lower extremity disability, and back disability were caused or aggravated by VA care.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate examination and conflicting medical evidence. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, obstructive sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disability, and bruxism are all being reviewed.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for all issues concerning service connection for various conditions, including headaches, liver condition, pancreatic condition, sleep apnea, anxiety, insomnia and depression, gastric bypass, kidney condition, loss of gallbladder, loss of spleen, and osteoporosis and bone condition.

The Veteran's initial PTSD rating is being remanded due to inadequate examination and the need for a new one. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with substance abuse disorder was previously rated at 30 percent, but his condition has worsened since the last VA examination. The Board is remanding to schedule a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions from a VA examiner and insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a psychiatric disability, which may be related to service or secondary to his service-connected lumbar disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, finding that his current condition is related to active service.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is being remanded for further evaluation, and the TDIU claim from July 23, 2019 is also being remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for her service-connected Major Depressive Disorder was denied, but she was granted a TDIU due to this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to August 12, 2008, for service connection for fibromyalgia and his claim of entitlement to a left shoulder disability have been dismissed.,The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome has been granted service connection. The Veteran is also entitled to a rating of 40 percent for fibromyalgia and a rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% effective February 3, 2021. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms since this date meet the criteria for a 50% rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety and depression, was dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a higher initial rating for prostate cancer is denied. The claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is denied. The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted. The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is granted. Service connection for hypertension was remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to January 19, 2018.,From January 19, 2018, to December 1, 2021, the Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with anxiety and major depressive disorder, is granted. The case for service connection of OSA as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and major depression as secondary to his already service-connected PTSD, finding that both conditions are already accounted for through his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating adequately reflects his symptoms of reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety and depressive disorder was granted with an effective date of July 1, 2012. The decision is based on new evidence submitted after the initial denial.