Depression Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, variously diagnosed as unspecified depressive disorder and major depressive disorder.

The Board remands the claim for further development, including verification of an in-service stressor and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and denied service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms are attributed to the now-service-connected condition.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than April 9, 2024, for the assignment of a 70 percent evaluation for insomnia disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.

The Board granted service connection for eye conditions, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and left eye retinopathy. However, it denied increased ratings for multiple peripheral neuropathies, hypertension, and status post tympanoplasty.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including HIV infection, bilateral hearing loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI), sight impairment, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased evaluation for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD with other specified depressive disorder and multiple wrist and finger pain conditions.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression and anxiety, as it was fully granted. The claim for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) secondary to tension headaches is remanded due to an inadequate examination.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including depression, alcohol use disorder, cocaine use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions due to untimely filing of the December 2024 VA Form 10182.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as the evidence did not support a finding that his current mental health conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and granted a 50 percent rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder from March 19, 2024.

The Veteran is granted service connection for migraine headaches secondary to tinnitus, effective April 1, 2021. The claim for an earlier effective date for depressive disorder was denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical strain, major depressive disorder, right knee instability, and tinnitus due to an incomplete record of the Veteran's military service history.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and foot disabilities. The claim for NSC pension benefits was dismissed as moot due to a higher disability rating.

The Board granted an initial rating of 100 percent for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder to include major depressive disorder (previously rated as PTSD) from March 23, 2022.

The claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, low back pain, and right shoulder pain are remanded due to a lack of adequate notice for VA examinations. The claims for increased ratings for left and right knee osteoarthritis are also remanded.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, on a secondary basis, due to the Veteran's service-connected conditions of hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral vestibular disorder with impaired balance associated with tinnitus, and headaches associated with tinnitus.