Depression decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is related to his service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, diagnosed as an anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder, is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but has found that a remand is necessary to obtain a new VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection and a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, as well as his requests to reopen these claims. The TDIU claim is granted from March 17, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal for SMC based on need for aid and attendance was granted. The appeal regarding TDIU from May 27, 2009 to September 18, 2011 was granted. The appeal regarding an effective date prior to September 19, 2011 for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for service-connected COPD with asthma and residual status post broken ribs is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder due to new and material evidence. The acquired psychiatric condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Veteran's TDIU due to service-connected bilateral foot pes planus is granted, effective May 29, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran's SMC housebound based on her TDIU and other service-connected disabilities is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, to include depression, and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The back, right hip, and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was granted a 100% disability rating effective January 9, 2018. Prior to that date, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically unspecified depressive disorder, is granted service connection. However, his claim for PTSD is denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition and headaches due to unclear diagnoses, outstanding private treatment records, and need for medical opinions on etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, recurrent headache disability, and recurrent sleep disability due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for depression, left knee disability, and back disability have been reopened. The Board has determined that the evidence is sufficient to establish service connection for major depressive disorder but remanded for further examination on PTSD, bilateral knee disabilities, and a back disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial rating determinations were denied. The claim for an increased rating for right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to May 4, 2015, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for major depressive disorder (residuals of traumatic brain injury) was also denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is reopened, but the claims for skin disorders of the feet are remanded due to lack of Compensation and Pension examinations.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, sinus disorder, GERD, hysterectomy (previously claimed as fibroid tumors), PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, and alopecia have been granted. The appeal was dismissed for the issue of a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for further development, including obtaining additional Reserve service treatment records and private psychiatric treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn and dismissed.,Service connection for left knee strain was denied as the evidence does not support an in-service injury or disease, and there is no credible link between current symptoms and service.,Service connection for a bilateral foot disability was denied due to lack of evidence of an in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's testimony about chronic pain during service did not align with contemporaneous records indicating he did not seek treatment for left knee issues.,The Veteran's claim for right shoulder disability, psychiatric disorder (PTSD and major depressive disorder), cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and radiculopathy was remanded as the evidence is insufficient to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA mental health examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, is related to his service. The examiner must provide a diagnosis and etiology for each diagnosed psychiatric disability.