Depression decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and stress related boils due to potential issues with current diagnoses and lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and anxiety and major depressive disorder are found to be related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for anxiety, chronic adjustment disorder (claimed as depression), and PTSD due to a predecisional duty to assist error regarding whether the Veteran's motorcycle accident occurred during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate analysis of the Veteran's symptoms prior to February 2019, and a need for a retrospective opinion regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for PTSD with MDD and TBI was granted, effective April 10, 2015.,SMC at the rate provided by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) based on need for regular aid and attendance was also granted, effective April 10, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition and concluding that his current disorders are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation of acquired psychiatric disability is denied as the evidence does not show that his condition warranted such a rating prior to November 30, 2020.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied because no claim was received within one year before January 11, 2018. The earliest communication regarding TDIU was on the same day as his claim for a higher rating of acquired psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for SMC based on housebound criteria and Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility are denied because he did not have a permanent total service-connected disability prior to January 11, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for trichotillomania and major depressive disorder due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claims must be addressed again with proper medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been granted, effective January 22, 2019.,A remand is ordered to reassess the rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability, now including PTSD and depression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development and lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, headaches, and CAD as secondary to a current non-service-connected depressive disorder due to an inadequate opinion in the December 2020 VA addendum.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed mental health disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran was diagnosed with adjustment disorder mixed anxiety and depression in August 2018, but he reported having PTSD at his hearing.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a presumptive condition due to herbicide agent exposure. The claim for service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension prior to August 10, 2022, is remanded.

The Veteran's MDD was granted a 70 percent disability rating prior to December 6, 2016.,From December 6, 2016, the Veteran received a 100 percent disability rating for his MDD until August 3, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder has been denied. The current rating adequately reflects the severity and impairment caused by the condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim will be further developed, including verifying in-service stressors and obtaining a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions including bilateral knee and ankle conditions, sleep apnea, psychiatric disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and back condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service.