Depression decisions — 2023

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for hypothyroidism was denied from December 22, 2021 to October 25, 2022. From October 26, 2022 onwards, the Veteran received a 70% disability rating.,The TDIU claim is also pending and requires further action.

The Board has granted readjudication of the previously denied claim for service connection for PTSD, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Unspecified Depressive Disorder due to new evidence received. The issues of service connection for Alcohol Use Disorder and Unspecified Depressive Disorder remain pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD due to MST. The evidence did not establish a link between his current symptoms and any in-service stressor.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals for vacatur of decisions denying increased ratings and effective dates, except for tinnitus where a higher rating is not available as a matter of law.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression are granted with a 50% rating prior to January 28, 2019. The claim for a higher rating is denied from January 28, 2019 onwards.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions and a need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination. The Veteran's PTSD claim is pending, as are claims regarding his major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD with other specified depressive disorder was dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw their appeal.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and a TDIU rating were denied as there was no evidence of a factual increase in disability within one year prior to the February 25, 2015 claim.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the Veteran's failure to attend his scheduled VA examination. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling another examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further evaluation and determination of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD with depression and insomnia, degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral pes planus, left knee disorder, neck disorder, neurological disorder, diabetes mellitus type 2, and eye/vision disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and to obtain relevant medical records. The issues include increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, major depressive disorder, hiatal hernia with GERD, and a scar.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder, as well as any impact from PTSD and narcissistic personality disorder. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder; other specified trauma related disorder, diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), and peripheral neuropathy upper extremities have been granted. The claim for hypertension has been dismissed as moot.,Service connection is established for diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure and arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) based on in-service exposure. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy upper extremities, lower extremities, and acne remains pending.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and determine if they meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant eligibility.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is found to be related to his military service and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, specifically PTSD. The Veteran contends that he experienced personal assaults and abuse during basic training in service which led to his current mental health issues.

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder have been rated at 70 percent since February 16, 2012. The Board found that the evidence supported a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus and right knee degenerative arthritis due to insufficient evidence. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether OSA is caused or aggravated by the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine this relationship.