Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to an inextricably intertwined issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, and will now consider the claim for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for PTSD and granted service connection for PTSD, MDD, and Anxiety related to military sexual trauma during service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran not having hearing loss for VA purposes. The claims for service connection of other conditions are remanded as there is insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, including MDD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorder are denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD due to lack of corroborated in-service stressors. The Veteran has been diagnosed with MDD and OCD, which the Board considered as encompassing the other diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depression and explosive disorder has been granted. The Board found that the evidence was sufficient to reopen his previously denied claims, and that his psychiatric disorders are related to service. However, the issue of individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are being remanded due to the failure of VA to contact him at his new address in Georgia. The examinations scheduled for June 2018 have not been conducted, and a copy of the Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was sent to two prior addresses in South Carolina.

The Veteran's claim for a rating of 70 percent for depressive disorder from October 23, 2013 was granted.,The issue of entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders is still pending and has been remanded.

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for headaches is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive and anxiety disorders, is granted.,Entitlement to service connection for muscle aches, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, is denied.,Entitlement to service connection for joint pain manifesting in the knees, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for a gastrointestinal disability manifesting in diarrhea, to include as due to a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness or an undiagnosed illness, is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder has been granted a 100 percent schedular rating for the entire period on appeal, and as such, his claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability prior to April 1, 2015 is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence has been received and grants the reopening of the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder and TDIU due to lack of evidence showing the onset or aggravation of such condition during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is granted, but with a rating of 70 percent. The effective date for this award is March 28, 2016.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence being added to the claims file, and the Veteran did not waive initial consideration of this evidence by the AOJ.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD with alcohol dependence and depression. The issue of hypertension was withdrawn by the Veteran during his October 2018 hearing.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU for her service-connected PTSD with Major Depression.,The Veteran's initial evaluation for PTSD with Major Depression remains at 70 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically his unspecified depressive disorder and adjustment disorder. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and persistent depressive disorder with mixed features result in the need for aid and attendance of another person due to memory impairment and the requirement of more than one insulin injection per day.

The Veteran's RLE radiculopathy is now rated at 20 percent effective from February 15, 2018. Other conditions remain unchanged.

The Board denied service connection for OSA, tachycardia, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), residuals of a shrapnel wound to the head, and a right knee disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were otherwise related to in-service injuries or diseases.,The Board found no indication of any current disabilities for OSA, tachycardia, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), residuals of a shrapnel wound to the head, and a right knee disability. The Veteran's statements regarding these conditions were not credible.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: service connection for a fungal condition and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and an adjustment disorder. Further development is needed as VA treatment records are required, the stressor must be verified, and opinions on etiology need to be provided.