Depression Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to incomplete examinations and other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The remaining issues of service connection for right hip, headaches, bilateral knee disabilities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder) are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety or depressive disorder), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability due to a lack of current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD. However, due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions and his military service, the case is being remanded for further clarification.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) due to military sexual trauma has been dismissed as the claim was withdrawn from the Legacy appeals system and opted into the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further examination and verification of in-service stressors, as well as obtaining private medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but total occupational and social impairment is not shown. The Board finds that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal from the legacy appeals process.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to new evidence added to the record since the last SSOC in February 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder due to military sexual trauma (MST) based on the Veteran's credible account of his experiences and medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and alcohol and substance dependence, finding no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that secondary service connection for alcohol and substance abuse was not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence, particularly regarding the impact of the Veteran's past hallucinations and suicidal ideation on her functioning during the period prior to October 29, 2016. The Veteran is required to provide a clear statement of her hallucinations over the claim period, and a new examination must be conducted by an examiner other than those who previously examined or provided opinions.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depression, due to a lack of verified in-service stressors and the absence of evidence linking current diagnoses to service.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected prostate cancer residuals and major depressive disorder, which precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders did not begin during service or are otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia. The examiner will be asked to address whether any of these conditions are related to service or service-connected TBI.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for a depressive disorder due to lack of evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression is remanded due to the lack of records from 1986 or 1989 in either Lafayette or Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Additionally, all VA treatment records from 2018 onwards should be obtained.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent from June 1, 2010 to March 12, 2014. He was granted a TDIU for the same period.