Depression decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of in-service stressor events and a need for further examination. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, are being reviewed on their merits.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder due to failure to substantially comply with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's service connection claims for rhinitis, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), a low back disability, a cervical spine disability, a bilateral knee disability, migraines, intestinal condition (colostomy bag), and cervical cancer are all granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder was granted with an effective date of October 12, 2018. The appeal to have the effective date earlier than October 12, 2018, is denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted service connection. For the period prior to January 26, 2016, a 70 percent rating for PTSD with depressive disorder is granted.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not begin during active service and are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine strain was dismissed, and the appeal for TDIU was granted. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder is granted a 70 percent rating effective November 26, 2009. The appeal for higher ratings on other conditions remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for postoperative pilonidal cyst, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression) secondary to his service-connected postoperative pilonidal cyst, and service connection for back, left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral hips, and bilateral knees are also being remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to his service-connected postoperative pilonidal cyst. An addendum opinion will be required to address this issue.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and bipolar disorder, finding that there is no persuasive evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disabilities and skin cancer. The examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to military sexual trauma in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and alcohol abuse disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support the contention that these conditions began during or are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 8, 2011.,The Veteran does not meet the criteria for SMC based on TDIU since he is not unemployable due to a single service-connected disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his previously denied claims for bilateral knee disability, left eye disability (to include residuals from corneal abrasion), and psychiatric disorder. The appeals for service connection for headaches, a bilateral hip disability as secondary to bilateral knee disability, digestive disability, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his major depressive disorder and TDIU was denied. His current rating of 30 percent is maintained.

The Veteran's initial claim for PTSD was denied, and the rating for unspecified depressive disorder with PTSD was initially granted at 30% prior to November 5, 2019. The appeal is now focused on whether a higher rating should be assigned from that date forward.

The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for depression was improper, and service connection is restored. The Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for her service-connected depression disability and TDIU are remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.