Depression decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder and headaches have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since October 14, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU effective as of that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a combined rating of 100 percent. As the Veteran does not meet the criteria for an award of special monthly compensation, as no disability is considered 100 percent disabling, plus an additional separate disability or disabilities combining to 60 percent disabling, his TDIU claim has been dismissed as moot.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his legacy appeals.

The Veteran's seizures and resulting back disability are granted, while the service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, currently diagnosed as unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that it had an onset in service and is related to service.

The Veteran's right hand condition, including osteopenia and limitation of motion, is related to service. The Board finds the in-service complaints and treatment consistent with current disability.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran developed depression during or immediately after service due to participation in military aircraft crash and salvage recovery activities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a shoulder disability as secondary to his service-connected back and radiculopathy of the lower extremities. The issues of increased rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, service connection for keloid scarring on face, and service connection for hands shaking, bilateral are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's right eye vision loss is granted under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as a result of VA medical treatment, and the Board finds that his depression and headaches are related to service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia bipolar type and major depressive disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service stressor or sexual assault, nor could it establish a nexus between current psychiatric disorders and active service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, is rated at 70 percent since July 30, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizoaffective disorder and depression, was denied as he failed to report for a required VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and events during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, as well as his claims for increased ratings for bilateral hip disabilities. The claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, should be remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service stressors. The case will need further development with a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and the need for additional private treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claim for acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD related to military sexual trauma, is being reviewed.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition to include PTSD, anxiety, and depressive disorder; and residuals of a coccyx injury. The Veteran's claims are remanded due to the AOJ not substantially complying with prior Board remand instructions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and an acquired psychiatric disability, including as secondary to tinnitus, are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The case is remanded for several reasons: to confirm the Veteran's service from June 1997 to March 2014, to obtain relevant STRs and military personnel records, and to afford the Veteran a VA examination to determine the etiology of her acquired psychiatric disorders.