Depression Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. However, additional development is needed as a VA examination is required to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability has worsened, and he testified that he stopped working in approximately 1995. The Board notes the need for a new examination to determine the current functional impact of his service-connected disabilities, including his acquired psychiatric disorder diagnosed as mood disorder and depression, residuals of cold injury of both feet, and right and left foot hypesthesia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to missing records and need for further examination. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, anxiety, and schizophrenia due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, is granted.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for sinusitis with hypertrophic rhinitis remains February 15, 2013.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral glaucoma, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded as there are insufficient opinions regarding its etiology. The examiner should consider both service-connected residuals of adenocarcinoma of the prostate status post radical prostatectomy and exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.,The acquired psychiatric disorder claim is also being remanded, requiring a new VA examination and medical opinion that addresses all diagnosed conditions and their relationship to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed psychological disorder and therefore, service connection for an acquired psychological disorder is denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic back disability, osteoarthritis of the knees bilaterally, anxiety disorder, hypertension, lumbar radiculopathy, and cholelithiasis. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is not service-connected, and his left ankle DJD warrants a 10% rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and is being remanded. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and PTSD, as well as residuals of a left hand injury, is also being remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and adjustment disorder. The evidence now shows a possible link between the Veteran's psychiatric condition and his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at 100 percent since March 31, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, consisting of PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, does not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD has been rated at 100% for the entire claim period, effective November 19, 2008. The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100% rating. SMC at the housebound rate has been granted from April 19, 2016 to May 16, 2016, and from August 1, 2016 onward.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for further development. The issues include PTSD, depression, hypertension, sinusitis, bilateral pes planus, right hand chemical burn, left knee injury, right tennis elbow and arm pain, bilateral shoulder pain, contusion to the neck, and residuals of a left ankle injury.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for her acquired psychiatric disorder has been denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence supported a finding that she is entitled to a 70 percent disability rating, but not higher. The evaluation of her chronic lumbar spine disability remains pending and needs further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, finding that his symptoms began in service and have persisted since then.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors, as well as for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.