Depression decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, vision disorder (blurry vision), psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety), left ankle sprain, and right ankle sprain due to potential errors in the initial decision-making process.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA eligibility are granted as of February 24, 2015. Her back disability alone is sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU at that time. The Veteran's psychiatric condition with alcohol use disorder meets the criteria for a 70% rating since February 24, 2015.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current diagnosed mental health conditions, including PTSD, are related to his service. The Veteran was not provided with such an examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including thoracolumbar spine arthritis with degenerative disc disease, acquired psychiatric disorder including unspecified depression, and sleep apnea, combine to a 70 percent rating. The Board finds the evidence in balance as to whether these conditions prevent the Veteran from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TBI, benign essential tremor, complex partial seizure, headaches, other specified depressive disorder, and chronic maxillary sinusitis are all granted as service connected.,Service connection is established for these conditions on a direct basis for the TBI and secondary to it for the tremor, seizure, headache, and depressive disorders. Service connection is also granted for the sinusitis as secondary to facial fractures.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of clear and unmistakable error in the July 2007 rating decision that denied service connection for PTSD, finding no evidence to establish a link between the claimed condition and active-duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is remanded due to errors in duty to assist. The case will be reconsidered with the addition of diagnoses beyond PTSD and consideration of secondary service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar, and personality disorder, may be related to his service. However, due to a lack of VA examination and medical nexus opinion, the claim is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted a disability rating of 70 percent, but no higher. The denial of the bilateral hearing loss disability and remand for TDIU are noted.

The Board has granted service connection for depression but denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates and increased ratings. The issues of TDIU and increased rating for lumbar myofascial syndrome are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide a VA examination. The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain syndrome.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted on August 4, 2018, the day following his separation from service. The effective date is based on the severity of his service-connected psychiatric and physical disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking a service-connected disability to the Veteran's suicide. The Veteran had major depressive disorder, but there was no established link between this condition and her active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A new VA medical opinion is needed to address the nature and etiology of his depression.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not resulted in total occupational and social impairment, but they do cause significant impairment.,The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that there was no current disability and insufficient evidence linking any diagnosed condition to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of lay reports and medical opinions, as well as failure to address separate diagnoses such as Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder. The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder are being sent back for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 70 percent for service-connected depressive disorder is denied. The effective date cannot be granted back to the original date of claim for service connection due to finality, and there are no records indicating that the Veteran first became entitled to this rating during the one-year lookback period.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is caused by his service-connected disabilities (major depressive disorder with somatic chronic pain disorder, right shoulder dislocation, and left shoulder supraspinatus tendinopathy).