Depression Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type with depression and granted it. The evidence shows that the condition likely began during service and worsened beyond its normal course.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (depression and sleep apnea) prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and substance use disorders is currently rated at 70 percent prior to April 11, 2016, and from June 1, 2016. The rating agency found that the Veteran’s symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied. The TDIU was granted in April 2016, predicated on service connection for major depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA mental health examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since June 11, 2010. The Board found that the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social isolation have persisted throughout the appeal period, warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety, is found to be attributable to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation has been granted.,The Veteran's claim regarding a proposed reduction of his bilateral hearing loss disability rating from 30 percent to 10 percent is remanded. The matter of whether he warrants a higher disability rating since April 2016 will also be addressed.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded and the VA Director of Compensation Service must consider an extraschedular rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16 (b).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression and anxiety, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected Major Depressive Disorder has been productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but judgment and insight have been consistently intact. The Board finds the disability picture more nearly approximates a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of lumbar disc disease, right ear hearing loss, left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and major depression are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his hypertension, depressive disorder, and coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder due to unresolved legal and factual questions.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, seizure disorder, and depression due to incomplete records. The Veteran is advised to obtain new representation if desired.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include depressive disorder NOS and anxiety disorder NOS.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current depression is related to his military service. However, the Board denied service connection for PTSD as there was no valid diagnosis of PTSD in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders, specifically PTSD and depression. The Veteran needs to undergo a VA examination to provide more information about his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied because she was discharged under dishonorable conditions and her current mental health diagnoses are not related to events during her second deployment to Somalia.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The claim for depressive disorder has been granted.,Service connection is established for a depressive disorder, as it is aggravated by the Veteran’s service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for depression and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to establish a direct relationship between the Veteran's military service and his current diagnosis of depression.