Depression decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of consideration of relevant medical evidence and opinions. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The Board finds that the matter must be remanded to cure this pre-decisional error.

The appeal is dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of her appeal, and the Board cannot issue a decision on the underlying claim at this time.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 100 percent for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction, as well as the claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ due to new evidence received.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should have been provided a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, and thus remands the case for this purpose.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including anxiety, depression, and panic disorder. The evidence shows a current diagnosis of these conditions and a link to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been withdrawn by his representative, and the Board has dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, and he is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 1, 2012 for the Veteran's TDIU and DEA eligibility. The decision is based on the fact that the Veteran became unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities starting from January 26, 2009.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining records from non-VA providers and verifying periods of active duty for training.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board found that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating due to their severity, frequency, and duration.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 70% rating effective June 4, 2014. He is seeking an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected depressive disorder was denied. The Board found that the symptoms associated with the condition more closely approximated a 50 percent disability rating, which is currently assigned.

The Veteran's disability rating for PTSD with anxiety and depression was reduced from 100% to 70%, but the reduction is void ab initio due to a failure to provide a predetermination hearing. The VA has restored the original 100% disability rating effective September 1, 2021.

The Veteran's PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent disability rating effective April 24, 2020.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with insomnia disorder was rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal. The Board found that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating, as they were consistent with a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection in a previous decision. The claims for service connection for vision disorder (cataracts) and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's major depression, with cannabis and cocaine use disorder in remission, is rated at 100 percent effective May 2, 2018. The appeal for a TDIU is dismissed as moot.