Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for a psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. Service connection is established for depressive disorder. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service connected.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression. The Veteran's depression is found to be of service onset or secondary to a service-connected disability and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD and depression, which are rated at 70 percent combined.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder, is linked to an in-service personal assault for which there is credible supporting evidence.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder, insomnia, and anxiety have been granted service connection as they are manifestations of his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of alleged combat stressors and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities are related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a vocational rehabilitation examination.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to an in-service personal assault and harassment during basic training.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his currently diagnosed major depressive disorder and previously diagnosed bipolar disorder. The case will be re-adjudicated after this is done.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify his claimed in-service stressors and for a new VA examination to address the etiology of his diagnosed psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, secondary to back pain is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected low back and left shoulder disabilities, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran is seeking to have the February 2002 rating decision that assigned a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol dependency, effective from June 26, 2001, revised due to CUE. The issue is whether there was CUE in assigning this rating.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings for PTSD, depressive disorder, left knee disability, and TDIU. The decision also addressed the issue of a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and depression. The Veteran is entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent for his degenerative joint disease of the right knee and an initial rating of 50 percent or higher for his depression since June 30, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for initial ratings and service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, low back disorder, depression/anxiety/nerve problems, chest disorder, neck disorder, and mouth disorder. The RO denied some of these claims but granted others. The case is being remanded to the RO for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disability and its relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids warrant a noncompensable evaluation prior to August 13, 2012 and a 10 percent evaluation from that date forward.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence shows a link between his in-service stressor and current PTSD symptoms, thus granting service connection for PTSD. Service connection is denied for all other psychiatric disorders as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his acquired psychiatric disorder. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the mental health issue.