Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran was unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities from January 25, 2007 to July 23, 2008. The Board granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his acquired psychiatric disorder was granted. His initial rating for the acquired psychiatric disorder remains at 70 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to his in-service stressor of experiencing physical and verbal abuse during 'blanket parties' in basic training. After resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and unspecified mood disorder, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to his active duty or National Guard service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than panic disorder, to include PTSD and major depressive disorder; service connection for hypothyroidism; and increased rating for residuals of right thumb fracture due to duty-to-assist errors. A VA examination is required for all issues.

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, combined with his irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), has prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since August 26, 2019. The Board finds that a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is warranted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and effective dates for his service-connected conditions was denied. He is now receiving a TDIU.

The Board has decided that service connection for plantar fasciitis is denied. The remaining claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis with chronic cough, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, acid reflux with nausea, benign prostatic hyperplasia with voiding dysfunction, kidney stones, cervicalgia, lumbago, sciatica, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral elbow epicondylitis, a left knee condition, and right knee strain are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to a duty to assist error and potential extraschedular consideration.

The Board has accepted the September 8, 2020 NODs as timely filed for the November 25, 2014, August 8, 2017, and May 14, 2018 rating decisions. The issues of increased ratings for headaches and a psychiatric disability, and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied. The Veteran also has been granted TDIU due to service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied due to the presence of other service-connected disabilities that preclude him from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's 70 percent evaluation for his psychiatric disability (PTSD with MDD) was restored due to procedural errors in the reduction from 50 percent. The current rating of 70 percent is maintained.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD symptoms did not result in total occupational and social impairment, so a rating higher than 70 percent is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for depressive disorder due to a duty-to-assist error regarding the review of private psychologist's opinion. The Veteran is asked to submit or request that VA obtain relevant treatment records reviewed by the private psychologist.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for depressive disorder, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected left testicle orchiectomy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has completed at least four years of college and worked as a college professor for over 30 years. The Board finds that the combined effect of his service-connected conditions does not preclude him from participating in a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for various conditions due to a lack of an initial substitution eligibility determination by the AOJ.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for migraines with nausea was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, major depressive disorder and SUD (alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines) was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 20 percent for metatarsalgia and plantar fasciitis of the left foot was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of major depressive disorder with anxious distress was granted, effective October 19, 2022.