Depression Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, hypertension, and arteriosclerotic heart disease (CAD) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted restoration of service connection for depressive disorder due to chronic pain syndrome, with major depressive like episode secondary to service-connected disabilities, effective July 1, 2020.

The Veteran was granted a 60 percent rating for bronchial asthma from July 30, 1992 to March 25, 2018. An earlier effective date for the award of service connection for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied.

The Board granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, to include PTSD and depressive disorder, as well as left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and shin splints, right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and shin splints, lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for multiple sclerosis and related conditions (sleep disorder, fatigue, depression, joint pain) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected multiple sclerosis.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for vertigo, major depression/anxiety condition, and degenerative arthritis of both hands to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for athletic induced asthma, chronic venous insufficiency, GERD, and hypothyroidism as there was no evidence of current disabilities. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disability and fibromyalgia were remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for unspecified depressive disorder and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, as well as remanded several other claims.

The Board granted an effective date of June 15, 2021, for a 40 percent evaluation for the chronic orthopedic symptoms of lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), and granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) effective October 6, 2023.

The Board remands the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder that may be present, including whether it is secondary to service-connected seborrheic dermatitis.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and major depressive disorder due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for revision of a June 1985 rating decision that denied a rating higher than 30 percent for psychiatric disability on the basis of clear and unmistakable error, finding the Veteran and his attorney failed to set forth the alleged error with specificity and legal or factual basis. The dismissal is without prejudice to refiling.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned a 20% rating for the Veteran's low back condition, while denying increased ratings for her psychiatric and neurological conditions.

The Board remands the claims for higher ratings and TDIU due to a need for additional development, specifically scheduling VA examinations.

The Board remands the issues of service connection for sinusitis and rhinitis, GERD, and anxiety and depression due to exposure to toxins during service.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and assigned a rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the service-connected MDD. Special monthly compensation at the housebound rate was also granted effective October 21, 2022.

The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, as more information is needed regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor and a VA examination.

The Board remanded the case for the RO to determine whether service personnel records received in March and April 1997 were newly added and relevant, and if so, whether reconsideration of the October 1996 claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is warranted under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c). The CUE motion is premature and will be addressed after the reconsideration determination is made.