Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA and private treatment records, as well as any pertinent SSA disability benefits records. A supplemental opinion from the social worker who conducted the April 2015 VA Social and Industrial Survey will also be obtained.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of service periods and a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder was found to warrant a 70 percent disability rating from February 19, 2009 until December 3, 2012. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected major depressive disorder is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating of 30 percent for his depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination.

The Board has granted DIC benefits on behalf of the Veteran's children, effective November 20, 2009. The appellant initially applied for DIC benefits in September 2007 and submitted an application to correct military records in November 2009. The Department of the Army determined that the Veteran's death was not in the line of duty due to his willful misconduct but later changed this determination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression, as secondary to his service-connected traumatic full thickness macular hole of the left eye, is being remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding aggravation.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's depressive disorder effective May 31, 2011. The Veteran's claim was originally received on that date and she is entitled to this effective date as it represents the earliest date of entitlement.

The Veteran's PTSD disability is rated at 70 percent, indicating significant impairment in most areas such as work and social relationships.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case to obtain a VA examination and additional medical records. The Veteran is seeking to establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to decide the Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses, including a medical opinion regarding whether VA facilities were feasibly available and if the treatment at West Palm Hospital was for a medical emergency.

The Board has remanded the case due to the submission of additional Federal records which require the issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are still under consideration.

The Board found that the Veteran's seizures were not caused by VA treatment and did not find proximate causation. Therefore, his claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and secondary service connection are denied.

The Veteran's depression and PTSD were found to have originated during her active service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with depression and alcohol and drug abuse. The Veteran's sexual dysfunction and TDIU claims are remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder, were aggravated by her second period of active duty service. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding this issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address her claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder related to his military service, and therefore, denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no medical link between the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor and his current diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder. As a result, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge was not a bar to VA benefits due to his insanity at the time he committed the offenses. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.