Depression Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and verify in-service stressors. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if any current psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain the appellant's service personnel records and clarify her periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA. The current decision does not address any rating assigned or effective date.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for ventricular arrhythmia and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, require further development. The case is being remanded for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and Depression (secondary to Multiple Sclerosis) due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the onset of Multiple Sclerosis during or within seven years after service.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to revise the October 2017 rating decision that granted an effective date of July 21, 2014, for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran argued that he should have been awarded TDIU earlier based on his service-connected conditions and inability to work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is related to his service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, diagnosed as an anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder, is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but has found that a remand is necessary to obtain a new VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection and a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, as well as his requests to reopen these claims. The TDIU claim is granted from March 17, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal for SMC based on need for aid and attendance was granted. The appeal regarding TDIU from May 27, 2009 to September 18, 2011 was granted. The appeal regarding an effective date prior to September 19, 2011 for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for service-connected COPD with asthma and residual status post broken ribs is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder due to new and material evidence. The acquired psychiatric condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Veteran's TDIU due to service-connected bilateral foot pes planus is granted, effective May 29, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran's SMC housebound based on her TDIU and other service-connected disabilities is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, to include depression, and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The back, right hip, and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was granted a 100% disability rating effective January 9, 2018. Prior to that date, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically unspecified depressive disorder, is granted service connection. However, his claim for PTSD is denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition and headaches due to unclear diagnoses, outstanding private treatment records, and need for medical opinions on etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, recurrent headache disability, and recurrent sleep disability due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for depression, left knee disability, and back disability have been reopened. The Board has determined that the evidence is sufficient to establish service connection for major depressive disorder but remanded for further examination on PTSD, bilateral knee disabilities, and a back disability.