Depression decisions — 2023

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder, lateral collateral ligament sprain with degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, and lateral collateral ligament sprain of the right ankle.

The Board has combined and expanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for depression, anxiety, and PTSD into one claim. The Board also found new and material evidence to reopen her previously denied PTSD claim. A remand is ordered due to insufficient rationale in the January 2018 DBQ regarding the relationship between the acquired psychiatric disability and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder due to chronic pain and multiple knee conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran was found unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to September 20, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including lower back disorder, right shoulder disorder, right foot disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), COPD, hypertension, and sleep apnea have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a causal relationship between these conditions and active service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence needs to be considered and the claims are being remanded for further review.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings on all hip fracture residuals and major depressive disorder with anxious distress, resulting in the dismissal of these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been granted under the PACT Act, but an effective date prior to August 10, 2022 is not established due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with recurrent major depressive disorder and panic disorder without agoraphobia resulted in loss of use of a creative organ, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for HPV and TDIU are remanded due to lack of clarity regarding the relationship between service-connected conditions and treatment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a depressive disorder as separate from his service-connected PTSD, finding that his depressive symptoms were subsumed under his PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and right upper extremity neuropathy due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claimed stressors in service and insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting medical evidence regarding a diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient link between current symptoms and in-service stressors. The Veteran needs updated VA treatment records and a new psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, and depression, is granted as service-connected. Night blindness and urinary frequency are denied as not related to service or any other compensable basis. Hernia complications are also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was denied as the evidence did not establish a causal nexus between current symptoms and an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to insufficient evidence of an in-service stressor. The claim for acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified anxiety and depressive disorders, was granted.,Service connection for chronic otitis externa was denied as there is no evidence of frequent and prolonged treatment required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 19, 2022. From July 19, 2022, the combined disability rating is 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine service connection for PTSD, verify in-service stressors, assess combat status, and evaluate acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) to include major depressive disorder and unspecified trauma or stressor-related disorder due to MST was granted. The Board found that the evidence established a link between her military sexual trauma during service and her current diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including depression and unspecified trauma or stressor-related disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the effective date of service connection for PTSD, depression, panic attacks, and alcohol dependence. The Veteran's claim is pending since 1971, and the issue now turns on when his acquired psychiatric problems had their onset.

The Veteran's GAD and MDD have been granted an initial rating of 50 percent, but no higher. Initial compensable ratings for PVD, SVT, and IBS are also being remanded.