Depression Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for depression and TDIU due to incomplete compliance with prior remand instructions. An addendum opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's current mental health condition, including his in-service prescription of Mefloquine, is related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression, is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD has been rated at 70 percent since December 12, 2016. This rating is granted as the symptoms meet the criteria for a disability rating of 70 percent under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for PTSD. The claim for service connection for Major Depressive Disorder is granted.

The Veteran's appeal related to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and an increased rating for his major depressive disorder is still pending. The case is being remanded due to issues with correspondence and a need to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right knee disability, left lower extremity sciatica, and right lower extremity sciatica as secondary to a left knee disability. Service connection was granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression).,Service connection was denied for all claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran seeks service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder, which may be related to his in-service stressors or substance use.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent from December 23, 2011 to January 7, 2020. The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to higher initial ratings for his right thigh and hip disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for pes planus, right-foot disorder, left-foot disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and migraine headaches have all been denied. The Board found that the pre-existing conditions were not aggravated by active service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression. The case is remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders and whether they are related to his service-connected tinnitus. Additionally, the case is also remanded to determine if the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition. The effective date for the award of service connection for IBS is denied as no new and material evidence was submitted within one year of the May 2011 denial.,The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, depression, fibromyalgia, and a higher rating for IBS are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded in conjunction with these issues.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA is remanded as the current VA examination opinions do not address causation or aggravation by his service-connected headaches. The claims for depression and fibromyalgia are also remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing causation or aggravation by his service-connected headaches.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for IBS is remanded as the current VA examination did not address the severity of his condition since March 2016. The claim for a compensable rating for lattice degeneration is also remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded in conjunction with the increased ratings for IBS and lattice degeneration.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression was granted, with a 50% rating prior to November 1, 2019.,From November 1, 2019, the Veteran received a 70% rating for his service-connected adjustment disorder.

The Veteran's depressive disorder with anxiety was rated at 30 percent prior to October 15, 2019 and 70 percent thereafter. The appeal is remanded for further development.,Service connection for esophagus stricture, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with erosive esophagitis are also remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims related to Bell’s palsy, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar strain, hypertension, and PTSD with major depressive episode. The Veteran's preexisting conditions are being evaluated for any permanent worsening during his periods of service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression and PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence of a diagnosed PTSD based on verified in-service stressors and concluded that the Veteran did not meet the full diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations and provide updated medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, finding that there was no current diagnosis of such disorders in the medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to inadequate examinations, missing VA examination records, and new treatment records.

The Veteran's lower back disability is granted as service connected.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression, is denied.,Bilateral lower extremity neurogenic claudication is granted as secondary to the now service-connected lower back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and as secondary to his service-connected asbestosis. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current psychiatric disabilities to in-service occurrences or to his service-connected condition.