Depression decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), plantar fasciitis left lower extremity, plantar fasciitis right lower extremity, and left shoulder disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right hand disability, low back disability, and psychiatric disability are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal to remove his spouse as a dependent from his VA benefits was dismissed because the proposed removal was not a final decision and the spouse had been reinstated.

The Board has found that the VA examination provided in June 2023 was inadequate and remanded for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment is dismissed as moot because it has already been granted. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hair loss due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to insufficient information regarding his employment status during the period of appeal. The Veteran was employed part-time until at least November 2022, and additional information is needed to determine if he meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis and major depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected PTSD is granted, with the highest possible rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of his psychiatric disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his psychiatric disability is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's psychiatric disability and fibromyalgia, but granted TDIU due to the psychiatric disability. The left knee and thoracic spine issues were remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, is granted as service-connected. The claims for unspecified depressive disorder, PTSD, lumbosacral strain, sciatica (secondary to lumbosacral strain), and hiatal hernia are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and PTSD with MDD, insomnia disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 8100 for migraines or under the General Formula for Mental Disorders for his PTSD.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder is related to his service-connected back and feet disabilities, which caused chronic pain that aggravated his depression.

The Board denied an effective date prior to March 11, 2020 for the grant of service connection for PTSD with mild depressive and anxiety disorder due to a lack of evidence showing entitlement arose before that date.

The Board granted restoration of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a psychiatric condition and TDIU prior to October 24, 2022 due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition. The AOJ is required to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder is related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected knee disability.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include MDD, AUD, and PTSD due to MST for a new VA examination and stressor verification.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed psychiatric disorder (MDD with alcohol dependence without physiological dependence sustained full remission) and foot condition (bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes cavus). The claims are not related to toxic exposure risk activities.