Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened and granted effective October 6, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depressive disorder is related to his military sexual trauma during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 11, 2014 for his TDIU award due to insufficient evidence showing he was unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to that date.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is granted as service connected.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as her symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, anxiety state NOS, and PTSD. The evidence does not establish a verified in-service stressor or injury that could be related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria prior to May 30, 2018 is denied because he does not meet the statutory or factual requirements of being permanently confined to his home.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence was presented to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for headaches. The claims for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder are also remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's MDD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective prior to July 31, 2020. The Board denied a higher rating for the period beginning July 31, 2020 and granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since January 2017. The Board denied a higher rating, finding that the Veteran’s occupational and social impairment did not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent since May 24, 2012. The rating reflects the severity of her symptoms which include suicidal ideation, near-continuous depression, impaired impulse control, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and inability to establish effective relationships.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that they do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbar spondylosis, and right knee arthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, left shoulder, left knee, right foot disabilities and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and PTSD. The Veteran's current conditions are believed to be related to in-service injuries during airborne training.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish a nexus with service.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU prior to August 21, 2015 is dismissed as the AOJ granted entitlement to TDIU based on psychiatric disability alone with an effective date of August 21, 2015. The issues of service connection for headaches and initial evaluation for bilateral eye injury are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for TBI and its residuals, as well as his acquired psychiatric disorders (major depressive and persistent depressive disorders) secondary to service-connected disabilities are granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion to determine if diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder with anxious distress, is at least as likely as not related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed depression and anxiety, but the other issues related to left ankle and knee disabilities are remanded.