Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depressive disorder and personality disorder, are found to have existed prior to service and were not aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and residuals of TBI is rated at least 70 percent, warranting a grant of an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and lack of response from the Veteran. The Veteran is required to report for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD is granted at a maximum rating of 100 percent from February 5, 2015, to August 25, 2015. Service connection for COPD and chronic diarrhea are also granted under the PACT Act effective date.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression and alcohol abuse is rated at a 70 percent disability rating prior to June 30, 2017. The appeal for higher ratings during the remaining periods on appeal has been granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for memory loss and increased disability rating for PTSD were both denied. The denial is based on the fact that the Veteran's memory loss symptoms are already accounted for in his existing PTSD rating.

Service connection is granted for acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Alcohol disorder, Major Depression Disorder (MDD), and Bipolar II.,Service connection is also granted for gastritis, GERD, lumbosacral strain, visual impairment, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression, is a result of his service and grants this claim.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease with speech changes has been granted a 30 percent rating, and other service-connected conditions have also been rated. The appeal is denied for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder has been granted. The appeal of the issues regarding thoracic strain with low back pain, left knee meniscal tear with anterior cruciate ligament tear and degenerative arthritis, and left shoulder strain have all been withdrawn. The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches due to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI as a result of environmental hazards during the Persian Gulf War has been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to June 27, 2019, for the increase of his psychiatric disability rating to over 50 percent or 100 percent was denied. The Board also granted a TDIU from April 29, 2016, to June 26, 2019.

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder, depression, memory loss, and PTSD. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of PTSD was granted. The claim for service connection of Depressive Disorder is readjudicated and granted as it is related to the Veteran's in-service sexual trauma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of those related to PTSD and a right knee condition.,VA has determined that new evidence received since previous denials supports the Veteran's claims for anxiety, neck/cervical spine condition, degenerative arthritis, dysthymic disorder, fallen arches, herpes, left knee condition, major depression, migraines, and thoracolumbar spine condition. The right knee condition and PTSD remain under consideration.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder with unspecified depressive disorder was denied, and the appeal for an increased rating for migraine including migraine variants was dismissed as fully granted. The maximum schedular rating (50%) has been awarded for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 5, 2020 for the grant of service connection for a depressive disorder was denied. The Board found that the most probative evidence did not support awarding service connection for the depressive disorder prior to November 5, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and opioid use disorder, resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The symptoms were estimated as causing a level of impairment consistent with a 30 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, is causally related to his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective August 15, 2014. The VA also awarded eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits effective the same date.,An earlier effective date of August 15, 2014, was granted for both the TDIU and DEA benefits due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board requires an opinion from an appropriate examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, including whether it had its onset in service or is otherwise related to service-connected disabilities.