Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a recurrent lumbar spine disability and major depressive disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder is related to his time in service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, asthma with obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined impact of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for left shoulder disability was withdrawn by the Veteran during his virtual Board hearing.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, headaches, GERD, chronic pain syndrome, lumbar radiculopathy (legs and feet), lumbar radiculopathy (arms and hands), and unspecified depressive disorder. Service connection is denied for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to major depressive disorder (MDD) is being remanded due to the need for a more detailed opinion regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and mood disorder, finding no current diagnosis of such a condition.

The Board denied effective dates prior to April 18, 2021 for the grants of service connection for various disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an intent to file a claim before that date.

The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent rating for PTSD with MDD and AUD is granted, but the appeal does not address service connection issues.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request, resulting in the dismissal of both PTSD and acquired psychiatric disorder claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination. The issues of sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance by another person are also being remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, are granted as secondary to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is at least as likely as not related to service and the Board has granted her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, TDIU, and hypertension was granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is November 19, 2009, as this is when the Veteran initially filed his claim. The effective date for the grant of TDIU is also November 19, 2009. Service connection for hypertension was granted on a direct basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound criteria as it is a duplicate of a previous decision.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 3, 2011 were denied as the earliest possible effective date is the date of receipt of her claim.,An earlier effective date for service connection was not granted due to lack of a formal or informal claim within one year of discharge from service.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, breast cancer, and lymphedema are all found to be service-connected. However, the claim for depression secondary to breast cancer is remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection has been granted for the Veteran's bilateral foot condition, breast cancer, and lymphedema as a result of her breast cancer treatment.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable disability rating for depressive disorder and service connection for hemorrhoids are being remanded due to the need to obtain his Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including MDD and lumbar spondylosis, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since October 31, 2016. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU are met on a schedular basis.

Service connection for PTSD and depression is dismissed as the Veteran's claim was granted during the appeal.,Service connection for a left elbow disability (claimed as tennis elbow) is denied due to lack of current diagnosis or in-service occurrence.

The Veteran's claims for a hand condition, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic neuropathy, and eye disability have been denied. The previously denied claim for bipolar disorder/depression has been readjudicated.,There is no probative evidence to support the Veteran's assertions that his current conditions began during service or are related to in-service events.