Depression Board decisions

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected major depressive disorder is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and procedural deficiencies, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations for depression and gouty arthritis. The veteran's claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, described as generalized anxiety disorder with depression.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including informing him of the information and evidence needed to substantiate his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board found that the veteran did not file an earlier claim for service connection for PTSD or depression, and thus denied his request for an effective date earlier than March 7, 2001.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety neurosis with depression, arthritis of the cervical and thoracic spine, and sensorineural hearing loss. The decision also denied entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for a psychiatric examination.

The Board found that the veteran's schizophrenia and residuals of a fracture of the left fifth toe do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.

The Board found that the veteran's current back conditions were not caused by military service and denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. However, he was granted a TDIU effective September 7, 1993.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was denied as his current diagnosed conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a psychiatric examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and dysthymia, finding no competent medical or lay evidence indicating a chronic psychiatric disorder in service, manifested continuity of symptomatology after service, or that his current psychiatric disorders are otherwise related to his military service.

The veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of his service connection claims. The RO must develop and adjudicate these new service connection issues before considering the TDIU issue.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, diabetes, and heart disease. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's Hepatitis C and depression were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service.

The veteran's claims of entitlement to increased disability evaluation for prostatitis, service connection for depression and erectile dysfunction are being remanded due to procedural deficiencies in the VCAA notification.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death, multiple injuries due to suicide, was caused by his pre-existing schizo-affective disorder with paranoid features and major depression with psychotic features, which were aggravated or made manifest as a result of his Vietnam experiences.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder with anxiety symptoms did not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards, thus denying his claim for an extraschedular rating.