Depression Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's dysthymia and major depressive disorder were incurred in service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing depressive disorder was aggravated by his service, leading to a determination in favor of granting service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder has caused significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70% disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient consideration of all evidence and inconsistencies in medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder has been manifested by memory interference, outburst of anger, irritability, depression, anxiety, impaired concentration, and sleep impairment without occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood throughout the entire claims period.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and attempting to verify the Veteran's reported stressors. The Veteran will also undergo a psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, cardiac disability, diabetes mellitus, low back disability, prostate cancer, and thyroid disability, were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to ionizing radiation during service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of depression or head rash at any time during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including a specified trauma and stressor related disorder, is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has met all elements of service connection: present disability (specified trauma and stressor related disorder), in-service incurrence or aggravation (credible statements about military experiences), and causal relationship between current symptomatology and specific claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Appellant's service records and determine her claims for service connection. The VA will notify the Appellant if further action is required.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% since the appeal period began, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD with depression and gastrointestinal condition, including GERD or acid reflux, are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his adjustment disorder with anxiety (also diagnosed as Major Depressive Disorder with panic disorder), finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his service, and he has been granted service connection for this condition. Other conditions are also found to have a link to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied as there is no evidence of three successive doses of ultraviolet light therapy treatment on April 2, 2010 and the additional disability did not result from VA carelessness, negligence, or error.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain another VA psychiatric examination and opinion, as the previous one was deemed inadequate. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is now pending.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for PTSD with depression and anxiety, and gastroenteritis has been withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar calluses have been rated at 50 percent since October 2015, and his TDIU claim has been granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated by service.,His acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression) is not attributable to service.