Depression decisions — 2022

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically including a nightmare disorder with anxiety and depression, is granted as service-connected. Service connection for neurocognitive disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied for pursuing a doctorate degree at the Foreign University due to his employment handicap and lack of hardship, despite having multiple master's degrees.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining additional medical records and requesting authorization to obtain private mental health care provider records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is being reconsidered.

The Board has found that the claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right arm, left lower extremity (radiculopathy), and right lower extremity (radiulopathy) disabilities are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims. The Board also finds that the depression claim is impacted by these service connection claims. These issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Persistent Depressive Disorder, due to inadequate opinions in the VA examination report. The case is returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to inadequate examination reports from a previous VA examiner. The Veteran's psychiatric disability is being reviewed again, with an emphasis on obtaining updated medical records and verifying his periods of qualifying active service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor events, which are necessary for service connection of his acquired psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran was granted an initial 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder effective January 15, 2011. He is denied a compensable rating for tinea versicolor prior to October 22, 2021 and a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date. A TDIU was granted prior to October 22, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability and MDD/GAD secondary to his service-connected disabilities is granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injuries, with continuity of symptoms since discharge.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and non-VA medical records, as well as requesting performance and disciplinary records from the Veteran's service aboard USS Pyro (AE-24). The examiner must determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his hazardous military occupational specialty duties during service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD with depression is being remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess current severity.

The Veteran's service-connected tremor, muscle rigidity, and bradykinesia of his right upper extremity (Parkinson's Disease) is granted with an effective date of December 25, 2015.,The Veteran's service-connected tremor, muscle rigidity, and bradykinesia left lower extremity, as secondary to his service-connected Parkinson's Disease, is granted with an effective date of December 25, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disabilities, including anxiety and depression, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, defined as a depressive disorder is granted. The issue of entitlement to initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded. Additionally, the issue of whether obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder is also remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, is found to be proximately due to his service-connected cervical spinal fusion with degenerative disc disease and associated tension headaches.

The Veteran's low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities (right and left), and psychiatric disability are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including chronic undifferentiated schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for a new examination.