Depression decisions — 2023

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and panic disorder, is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's mental health disability, including other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder and other specified depressive disorder with posttraumatic stress disorder, is currently rated at 50 percent. The Board has decided to remand the case for a supplemental statement of the case due to new evidence added since the June 2022 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The decision is based on the Veteran's reported in-service stressors related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, which have been confirmed by medical evidence. The Board found that there was a current diagnosis of PTSD and that it was causally related to the in-service stressor events.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to February 11, 2014. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU on a schedular and extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, MDD, PTSD, GERD, migraine headaches, sarcoidosis, and skin lesions/lesions on back are remanded.,An effective date prior to March 10, 2016 for the grants of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability is denied.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as cyclothymic disorder and major depressive disorder, is found to have manifested during her active military service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a lung condition and depression have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and medical opinions. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is now before the Board again.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in its March 2022 decision, specifically failing to address whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disability may have caused or aggravated his unspecified depressive disorder and anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted effective January 31, 2007. A 50 percent rating was assigned from that date until April 6, 2014.,Effective April 7, 2014, the Veteran is rated at 100 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his symptoms do not warrant total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service connection for bipolar disorder/bipolar depressive disorder (claimed as anxiety, depression, mania, and bipolar) is granted. The issues of initial compensable disability rating for hearing loss and total disability rating based on individual unemployability are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to July 27, 2015 due to insufficient evidence showing that she was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and VA examinations. The issues include a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, a rating in excess of 50 percent for migraine headaches, and TDIU from October 23, 2008, to June 2, 2013.

The Veteran's major depression and generalized anxiety disorder are currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating. The symptoms described are consistent with a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated as 70 percent disabling from April 1, 2019. The Board denied entitlement to increased disability ratings for the condition prior to February 20, 2019 and from April 1, 2019 due to a lack of evidence showing occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's cannabis use disorder is not service-connected as it is a primary alcohol abuse disability.,There are no diagnosed elbow, ankle, or thumb conditions in the Veteran's service records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is dismissed, and the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition secondary to a back disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma was granted a 100% rating from January 17, 2012 to August 8, 2022. The other issues remain pending and will be remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, with the exception of a remand for further development on several service connection issues. The lumbosacral strain claim was denied as there is no evidence that it meets the criteria for a higher rating. The allergic rhinitis claim was also denied since it does not meet the criteria for a 10% rating due to lack of obstruction or polyps. Other claims were remanded.