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 a right hip condition and an acquired psychiatric disability (depression/anxiety). However, the claim of service connection for these conditions remains denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing in-service onset or a nexus between current diagnoses and military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to her military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD and Depression, is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his military service and stressor allegations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of PTSD and depression are related to his service, including exposure to combat. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's request to reopen her claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied. The RO found that the evidence submitted did not meet the criteria for new and material evidence. For the knee issues, the RO determined that prior to November 23, 2015, the Veteran's right and left knee strains did not cause either a compensable limitation of motion or instability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a psychiatric examination to determine if service connection can be granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The TDIU claim is also being considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric diagnosis, including PTSD, is related to his service and has been linked by competent medical evidence to a verified in-service stressor event. Therefore, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder began during his military service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected TBI or any other head injury during service, and the Veteran's current symptoms are not linked to his military service. The acquired psychiatric disability is also not connected to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining her SSA records and providing an addendum VA examination to address the severity of her service-connected psychiatric disability and whether she can secure or follow a substantially-gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need to submit his case to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration on an extraschedular basis, and to obtain additional VA treatment records and SSA disability records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder and degenerative joint disease of the spine and shoulders, effectively preclude her from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with her educational and work background.

The Veteran seeks service connection for depressive disorder, which he claims is secondary to his existing service-connected disabilities. The claim has been remanded due to the need to obtain a November 2002 VA psychiatric evaluation and other relevant treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and granted entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD. The diagnosis is linked to an in-service stressor event.

The Board has remanded the case for a new evaluation due to additional evidence submitted by the Veteran, including lay statements and medical records. The focus is on determining if any psychiatric disability shown during the current appeal period is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service, specifically his reported in-service assault.

The Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability is etiologically related to his active military service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection for this condition. The acquired psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression) are also found to be related to service. However, there is no evidence of cold injury residuals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as bipolar disorder with depression, is being remanded due to inadequate development of in-service mental health treatment records and the need for a sufficient etiological opinion.

The VA examiner found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is less likely than not due to her in-service fall and miscarriage, as well as her post-service hysterectomy. The opinion did not address whether the disorder was related to service.