Depression Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the August 2010 VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's PTSD, as the Court found that the Board did not comply with its previous May 2017 remand order. The new service records include the Veteran's entrance examination and other military personnel records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and an acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the medical evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating than the current 70 percent, as it did not show total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder had its onset during his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, due to lack of jurisdiction under the modernized appeals system (AMA).

The claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for major depressive disorder prior to July 2, 2019 is denied. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to major depressive disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder does not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his depressive disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2016 VA examination. The case will be returned for another examination.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, a hematological disorder, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and high blood pressure or hypertension, finding that the evidence did not show these disorders were incurred in or related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for persistent insomnia disorder with other specified depressive disorder and other specified anxiety disorder with panic attacks was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment, but generally functioning satisfactorily.

The Board denied service connection for general anxiety disorder with persistent depression and dysthymia as the evidence did not show a causal relationship to military service.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating and has been unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, including his generalized anxiety disorder with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), back disability, shoulder disability, headache disability, and hemorrhoid disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70% disability rating for PTSD is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a worsened PTSD disability picture until the April 2019 VA examination, and there was no evidence supporting a finding of increased severity one year earlier.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for her service-connected PTSD with MDD is being remanded due to the need for a more recent VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and MDD with anxious distress, as well as his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to failure of the Veteran to report to scheduled VA examinations and lack of attempts to reschedule. The issues include psychiatric disabilities, drug abuse, low back disability, spina bifida, and a neurological disorder of the left lower extremity.