Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the Veteran's service-connected low back disability and PTSD with depression. The issues of increased ratings for these conditions and entitlement to a TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to major depressive disorder due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology and relationship between these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to additional development being required. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently considered direct service connection cases.

For the period prior to July 3, 2019, a disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD and Persistent Depressive Disorder was granted. For the period from July 3, 2019 onward, a higher rating is denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a back disability and hemorrhoids, but has determined that further development is needed to address the remaining issues of service connection for lumbosacral spine disability, left leg disability (including radiculopathy and leg shortening), forehead scar, and psychiatric disability. The decision on these issues will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The Veteran will need to provide his pay records from March 1973 to July 1974, verify his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA), obtain his treatment records at the Vet Center, and undergo a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again to ensure all necessary records are obtained and a proper medical opinion is provided.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient explanation of the significance of a 33-year gap between the Veteran's military service and his initial diagnosis of depressive disorder. The claim is now pending for further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include PTSD, has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development including verification of stressors and a VA examination.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorder have been granted a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability has also been granted starting February 25, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include major depressive disorder due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives and the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of lay statements linking the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions and their relationship to service. Additional development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a new medical opinion.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 16, 2010 for the grant of service connection for persistent depressive disorder with mixed features. The Veteran's claim for statutory special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) was denied as she does not have a single disability rated at 100 percent disabling.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and PTSD, as the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD or a link to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the competency of the VA examiners and because there is no opinion linking the Veteran's major depressive disorder to his service. The Veteran needs to provide information about his treatment history, and a new VA examiner must determine if his depression is related to his service.

The Veteran's PTSD, other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, and depression are related to his combat service in the Korean War. His tonsillectomy is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression, finding that there was no evidence of a psychiatric disability related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other conditions, renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, due to insufficient medical opinion in the February 2019 VA examination. The case is returned for a new examination and a determination of whether the Veteran's current psychiatric diagnosis is at least as likely as not caused by his military service.