Depression decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset during service. Service connection was denied for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to address her claim for service connection of a disability manifested by nerve damage to the abdominal area.

Service connection is granted for PTSD, MDD, anxiety, migraines, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include PTSD, MDD, anxiety, migraines, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected general anxiety and major depressive disorder and neurocognitive disorder are granted at a 70 percent evaluation from March 19, 2013 to March 31, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hepatitis C due to unclear records regarding his confinement in service, lack of verification of a reported stressor event, and need for further development related to these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine their etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen claims for sickle cell anemia was dismissed. Claims for digestive disorder, headaches, high blood pressure, sinus disorder, and sleep apnea were granted. The remaining issues of service connection for vision disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain, and psychiatric disorders are remanded.

The appeal of entitlement to a disability rating more than 30 percent for unspecified depressive disorder prior to September 23, 2020 is dismissed.,The appeal of entitlement to TDIU prior to March 12, 2019 is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for a headaches disability is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 3, 2015. The Board granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) for this period.

The claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability is reopened due to new and material evidence. The claims for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and the acquired psychiatric disability are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his depressive disorder and hypertension with renal kidney cancer, have led to a combined rating of 80 percent. However, the Board found insufficient evidence to support a TDIU due to the Veteran's failure to cooperate in providing necessary information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to the denial of his claim for service connection for multiple sclerosis (MS). The time period for filing an appeal of the January 2023 AMA rating decision has not passed, and as such, these legacy appeals cannot be adjudicated at this time.

The Veteran's major depression with generalized anxiety disorder is being remanded for further development to assess the current severity and manifestations of his disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's anxiety and depression.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for obtaining additional VA and private medical records, as well as requesting authorization for private medical records from various providers.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current PTSD is not related to his military service and denied service connection for PTSD. The issues of service connection for Anxiety condition, Major Depression, Sleep Disturbances, and Drug Abuse are remanded due to a lack of opinion regarding their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, vertigo, GERD, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inconsistencies in previous opinions and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was dismissed because he failed to provide the necessary information and documentation as requested by VA, resulting in his abandonment of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was granted on July 13, 2012. However, an effective date of January 30, 2018 is assigned due to the receipt of additional relevant service department records in October 2018.