Depression decisions — 2022

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder is rated at a 70 percent disability rating for the period prior to July 12, 2016.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking an effective date prior to August 8, 2016 for the grant of service connection and a 70 percent rating for unspecified anxiety, depression, and alcoholism.

The Veteran's depression and PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating prior to February 3, 2022. The criteria for a higher rating of 100 percent are not met.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence not previously considered by the AOJ.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for residuals of head contusion, now claimed as traumatic brain injury. The new evidence supports a finding that these residuals are related to his in-service head injury.

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder are currently rated at 70 percent, effective January 17, 2015. A TDIU is granted since the day after his retirement in January 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing psychiatric conditions were not aggravated by service and that there is clear and unmistakable evidence of their existence prior to enlistment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disabilities, and lumbar spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The issues are related to psychiatric disorders, with one issue being secondary to another.

The Veteran's depressive disorder and anxiety disorder have been granted a 100% rating effective June 21, 2012. The effective date for service connection is also confirmed as the date of claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The evidence did not establish a causal relationship between his current psychiatric disabilities and his in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression was dismissed because the VA Form 10182 submitted more than one year after the SOC was issued was not timely.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, heart disease (to include coronary artery disease), and acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and psychosis) are granted as they are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 70% and renders him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating as of March 16, 2016.

The Board has remanded multiple issues for further development, including service connection claims and exposure to ionizing radiation or chemical agents. The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded due to inadequate VA opinions. His psychiatric condition, migraine headaches, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, urinary condition, sleep apnea, and hypogonadism claims are also remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for a higher rating for depression and for TDIU as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to September 8, 2022 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD and major depressive disorder has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for PTSD and MDD prior to September 5, 2019 and from February 4, 2021 has been dismissed as the Veteran requested a withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an issue raised by the Veteran regarding his March 2013 request to reopen his PTSD claim as an implied claim for increase of his service-connected major depressive disorder. The case is now pending and requires a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran has PTSD.

The Board has granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his PTSD, which is considered a direct result of his active duty service, was a contributing factor to his suicide.