Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantial gainful employment, consistent with his training and experience as an over-the-road truck driver.

The Board has remanded the claims for headaches, PTSD with depression and alcohol use disorder, and TDIU due to procedural issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD related to military sexual trauma, is found to be related to his active service. His hypertension is also being examined as it may be secondary to his psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of April 1, 1999. Effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits are granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, earlier effective dates, and disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting diagnoses and a need for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, depression, and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and insufficient medical opinions regarding his psychiatric, neuropathy, and balance issues.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, for a new VA medical opinion.

The Board granted an initial increased evaluation of 70 percent for major depressive disorder, an earlier effective date of January 29, 2018, for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU), and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection for anxiety, depression, left shoulder, right ankle, and right knee.

The Veteran's claim for chronic bronchitis cough was granted. The left wrist disability, acquired psychiatric disabilities (anxiety, insomnia, short-term memory loss and lack of concentration, social adjustment disorder with anger issues), bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, vitamin D deficiency, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and skin disability (shingles) were denied. The Veteran's upper respiratory infection(s) other than chronic bronchitis was not addressed in the decision.

The appeals for service connection for depression, anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were dismissed due to untimeliness. The appeals for increased ratings of left and right hip strains are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's anxiety and MDD are now rated at 50 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The other issues remain pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA as it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, with alcohol use disorder, MDD.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 28, 2021, for the award of service connection for PTSD due to personal trauma with MDD and GAD is denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to personal trauma with MDD and GAD is also denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding whether to reduce the Veteran's disability rating for PTSD and other specified depressive disorder from 70 percent to 50 percent, as the January 2022 decision proposing such reduction was not a final decision. The June 2022 decision reducing the rating to 50 percent was found improper due to insufficient evidence of improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board has determined that a 70 percent rating is warranted for the Veteran's PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for Major Depressive Disorder as secondary to service-connected asbestosis due to inadequate medical opinions and a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is found to be secondary to his service-connected Persistent Depressive Disorder, and thus service connection for OSA has been granted.