Depression decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress with superimposed major depressive episodes is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a violation of his due process rights regarding notification of his right to an administrative hearing. The case will be returned to the RO for compliance with the directives in the Joint Motion for Remand (JMR).

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and TDIU was granted, with a rating of 70% effective December 17, 2009.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for depression, left shoulder tendinitis, and an increased evaluation for a skin condition due to concurrent elections under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder, has been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnosis of major depressive disorder is being considered in this appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU). The TDIU claim was part and parcel of his increased evaluation claim for mental health disabilities, which he filed in October 2020. As a result, the effective date remains September 8, 2020.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between her current conditions and any in-service events or exposures. The decision also notes that she did not have active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of depressive disorder based on a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the May 2001 rating decision, as there was no evidence of a current disability at that time.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic psychiatric disability (claimed as depression and anxiety) and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for metrorrhagia, right ankle strain, and major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that would qualify as 'active military, naval, or air service' and thus make her a 'veteran'.

The Board has granted service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, MDD, and alcohol use disorder as these conditions are causally related to the Veteran's in-service event of learning about a friend's death during active-duty training.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence after a previous denial.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for earlier effective dates in both the evaluation of generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as for individual unemployability. As a result, the Board dismissed these claims.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to his death.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 7, 2020 for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder), but not earlier. The decision is based on evidence showing total occupational and social impairment from that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, and psychiatric disability (including depression and PTSD) due to a duty-to-assist error regarding private treatment records. The Veteran is requested to provide authorization for VA to obtain these records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of all issues appealed.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for right and left lower extremity radiculopathies of the femoral, internal popliteal, sciatic nerves, and major depressive disorder have been granted. The Veteran is also remanded for further evaluation regarding his lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder in remission is granted at a 70% rating, effective from March 31, 2021. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also granted.