Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder, right knee disability, and left knee disability are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. Additional evidence will be sought and a new VA examination is required.

The Board denied service connection for depression and anxiety as they are considered symptoms of the Veteran's already service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, finding that there is no current diagnosis of such disorders.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depressive disorder, stimulant use disorder, and alcohol use disorder precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of December 31, 2018. The Board granted the claim for TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with DDD is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, effective July 8, 2016.,Service connection for left and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is denied prior to September 28, 2017.,Service connection for depressive disorder is granted from May 10, 2016.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified depressive disorder and anxious distress with panic attacks, is granted as secondary to her service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the appellant was the Veteran's surviving spouse and for clarification on the nature of any psychiatric disability present at the time of the Veteran's death, including its relationship to alcohol abuse.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, is granted as incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to associate all available VA treatment records pre-dating the April 2020 SOC with the claims file.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD, is at least as likely as not related to his service in which he found dead bodies. Therefore, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety, and depression are granted as service-connected. The Veteran's insomnia is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depressive disorder due to chronic pain syndrome with major depressive-like episode, anxiety disorder due to chronic pain syndrome, and chronic pain syndrome, as secondary to his service-connected disabilities of right lateral collateral ligament sprain with fibular fracture and residuals, and residuals of coccygeal fracture.

The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed.,The claims for service connection for migraines and a gynecological disorder, to include vaginitis, are readjudicated based on new evidence.

Your appeal for service connection for major depressive disorder has been dismissed because you withdrew your appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's notice of disagreement was not timely filed, and the appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for unspecified depressive disorder, since August 27, 2012, was granted. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms warranted a 70 percent disability rating throughout the period on appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and major depressive disorder, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraines and posttraumatic stress disorder, do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the AOJ's failure to obtain an adequate medical opinion constitutes a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol abuse disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected PTSD and also due to a lack of an examination for direct service connection. The Veteran will need further examinations and medical opinions.