Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to April 22, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a mental health condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his generalized anxiety disorder. The earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for generalized anxiety disorder is set at September 13, 2012. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder as it was not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims of increased ratings and TDIU were also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD with major depression is dismissed. His claim for an increased disability rating for thoracolumbar strain with IVDS (previously diagnosed as midthoracic strain) prior to March 28, 2017 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is not considered to have contributed to his cause of death, which was atherosclerotic hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hypertension. The Board found that the medical evidence does not support the claim that the depression worsened or caused the heart condition.

The Veteran's face numbness, psychiatric disability (including depression), and sleep disorder are being remanded for further examination to determine their etiology. The current evidence is insufficient to make an informed decision on these claims.

The Veteran's requests to reopen service connection claims for various conditions were denied. The Board also remanded several issues, including a low back disability rating and hypertension rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a sleep disorder are remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of stressors and VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and non-service-connected disability pension benefits due to insufficient information regarding his spouse's social security number, lack of a valid medical opinion linking PTSD to an in-service stressor, and incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran is also being asked to provide more recent income and net worth information.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of major depressive disorder with panic disorder is denied. The appeal for a higher evaluation and TDIU prior to June 2, 2015, are granted.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder have worsened since his last VA examination, which was over four years ago. A more contemporaneous medical examination is required to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD has been rated at 70 percent since August 30, 2007, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of her right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities. The Board found that she has PTSD due to military sexual trauma during service, bilateral hip replacements related to service, migraines also related to service, and tinnitus related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD with depressive disorder, was granted an initial evaluation of 50 percent for the period from August 11, 2006, to October 11, 2016.

The Veteran's service connection claim for depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining command histories and enlisted performance evaluation reports to verify in-service stressors. The Veteran's psychiatric conditions will be evaluated based on their relation to his submarine service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of proper notification regarding service connection for PTSD based on in-service personal assault or harassment.

The Veteran's excoriation disorder is granted as secondary to her major depressive disorder.,Her dry eye syndrome (Sjogren’s syndrome) has been granted a 20% rating, but no greater.

The Veteran's hearing loss is now rated at 10 percent, effective August 23, 2018. The Board has also granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (including depression and substance abuse disorder), but the claim remains pending as a VA addendum medical opinion is needed.