Depression decisions — 2024

The Board denied an effective date prior to May 13, 2021 for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sarcoidosis of the lungs, eye disabilities, and depression with anxious features due to incomplete development and duty-to-assist errors. The issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, to schedule an additional VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 14, 2005 for service connection for mild recurrent major depressive disorder and persistent insomnia disorder. The decision is based on a statement from the Veteran in July 2005 indicating he was entitled to service connection for depression as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a more adequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for depression and insomnia secondary to depression due to a need for additional evidence and an adequate VA examination.

The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded claims related to alcohol abuse secondary to a psychiatric condition due to insufficient evidence in previous decisions.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by verifying in-service stressors and obtaining a new medical opinion.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, now claimed as depression.,His claim for a compensable rating evaluation of erectile dysfunction was denied. The Board remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for vertigo associated with the service-connected TBI, but denied an increased disability rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD and MDD and TBI.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition, lower left extremity sciatica, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety), erectile dysfunction, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or are otherwise related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various conditions are being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder with anxious distress and other specified stress and trauma-related disorder, is granted as service connected. His alcohol use disorder is also granted as secondary to his service-connected depression. However, the Veteran's PTSD claim remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and entitlement to SMC(k) and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural errors. The case is also remanded for a VA examination to clarify the nature of her FSAD symptoms.

The appeal for an initial disability rating higher than 70 percent for a depressive disorder is dismissed as the Veteran's representative agreed that the current rating is appropriate.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination related to the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorder. The examiner should determine if these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and depressive disorder are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year following active service, nor are they related to service.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an ear condition. His complaints of left ear pain were noted in VA treatment records but no specific ear condition was diagnosed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis and PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder are being remanded due to errors in the AOJ's duty to assist.

The Veteran's claim for a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD is granted, effective November 15, 2005. The claim for TDIU is also granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to in-service stressors involving actual serious injury and death of others due to hostile military activity in Iraq. Service connection for PTSD is granted, while the claims for tinnitus and major depressive disorder are remanded.