Depression Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the appellant's mental state at the time of misconduct leading to his discharge under other than honorable conditions. The VA is instructed to obtain additional records and schedule a VA examination to determine if the appellant was insane.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and further development regarding his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD is warranted, and to consider whether the Veteran's unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities warrants a TDIU prior to May 29, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD is not etiologically related to a verified in-service stressor, and the claim for service connection is denied. The claim for an increased rating for major depressive disorder is remanded due to lack of recent examination.

The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 70 percent for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder and other specified depressive disorder now with major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (psychiatric disorder) have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for IBS has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear NOD and incomplete records. The claims are being remanded for further development including obtaining private medical records, determining whether ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA periods affect service connection, and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The issues of increased ratings for thoracic spine degenerative joint disease, right shoulder bursitis, and depression are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of the claims as they are no longer relevant.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and for increased evaluations for his TBI and lumbosacral strain with IVDS. The issues of entitlement to TDIU are also being remanded.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress has been rated at 70 percent, but the Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for total social and occupational impairment.

The Board has found that not all of the prior remand directives have been accomplished and has therefore ordered the case to be returned for compliance with the Board's previous instructions.

An initial 70 percent rating for anxiety disorder is granted effective July 9, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorder present since 2002. A new VA opinion is required from an appropriate examiner.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected persistent depressive disorder and sleep disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at a higher 70 percent, but no greater. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, finding that the earliest claim was received on November 2, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 70 percent since March 11, 2017. The appeal has been remanded for further evaluation of the service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD and major depression were denied due to the finality of previous decisions. The effective dates granted are August 6, 2014.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities are rated at 20 percent each, effective July 30, 2013. The TDIU claim is granted as of August 18, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for anxiety disorder, cognitive difficulties/memory loss, depressive disorder, mood disorder, and panic disorder as these conditions are considered symptoms of the Veteran's already service-connected PTSD.