Depression decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence on file, and a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are related to her in-service symptoms.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and TDIU were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as they are moot.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to June 9, 2022, for a 100 percent rating for major depression disorder with anxious distress and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance criteria being met (SMC) was denied.,There is no evidence of a discernable increase in the Veteran's disability level in the one year prior to June 9, 2022.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder does not meet the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance due to his ability to dress, feed himself, and perform daily activities. He is also not considered housebound due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his unspecified depressive disorder was denied, and entitlement to special monthly compensation at the housebound level was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring new VA medical opinions on causation and aggravation of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 100 percent since January 25, 2013, and the Board has granted a 100 percent rating for total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, sleep disturbance, and depression are being remanded due to a failure to provide adequate VA examination for the claim of service connection for depression.,Service connection will be considered on a direct basis for the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a mental health VA examination and Individual Unemployability Statement regarding his major depressive disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to Military Sexual Trauma and has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition other than PTSD. The Veteran's claims are pending further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is not etiologically related to active service.,The Board concludes that, while the Veteran may experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, the evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that any acquired psychiatric disorder began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is therefore denied.,The Board concludes that the claims must be remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors. Review of the claims file does not confirm that the Veteran was stationed in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. In this regard, the Board believes that additional efforts to determine whether the Veteran had active duty service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War are needed.,The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, CFS, fibromyalgia, and migraines, which he argues are due to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). While the Veteran has consistently argued that he participated in TERA, this has not been verified by the RO. The Board finds it necessary to remand the Veteran's claims so that his potential TERA can be verified by the RO.,The Veteran seeks service connection for low back pain with intervertebral disc syndrome. He reports that he injured his back during a patrol in 2005 and contends that his current back disability is related to this injury. Remand is necessary to obtain the Veteran's complete military personnel records to ascertain whether his 2005 back injury happened during a period of ADT or IDT.,The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, CFS, fibromyalgia, and migraines. He contends that his disabilities are related to toxic exposures during service in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veteran's October 2002 DD-214 confirms that the Veteran served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of anxiety disorder and depression, as well as his requests for increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome with tendonitis and thoracolumbar strain. The case is remanded to obtain updated VA examinations for the thoracolumbar strain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression, left elbow conditions, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and experience.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not total social and occupational impairment. The Board denied the claim for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The decision found that there was no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that the Veteran did not have a current psychiatric condition at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with MDD was granted in August 2022, and the effective date is set at June 2, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a VA examination to determine if he has current psychiatric disorders that had their onset in or are otherwise related to his active duty service from February 2009 to March 2010. The examiner must provide a rationale for each opinion given.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with MDD was granted in August 2022, and the effective date is set at June 2, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder was granted effective February 9, 2022. The effective date has been set at January 3, 2022.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to the cumulative effects of his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).