Depression Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's hemorrhoids, anxiety and depression (claimed as a nervous condition), and angina are related to his service due to an undiagnosed illness. The claims for heart disorder have been granted.

The Board has determined that the appellant is demonstrably unable to retain employment due to his psychiatric conditions, specifically PTSD. The criteria for a 100 percent rating are met under the old diagnostic code and therefore a 100 percent schedular rating is granted from the date of claim.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is a mixed decision, with some issues granted and others not. The appeal involves whether his anxiety and depression are related to his Bell's palsy residuals or his seizure disorder.

The VA has restored a 100% schedular rating for major depression with psychotic features, effective August 1, 2000.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depression and somatoform disorder, IBS, GERD, headaches, and hemorrhoids, are found to be of such severity as to preclude her from obtaining or retaining a substantially gainful occupation. The combined rating for these conditions meets the criteria for TDIU.

The veteran's schizophrenia with depression was manifested by anxiety, depression, panic, paranoid ideas, limited concentration and memory, auditory hallucinations, delusions, depression, difficulty sleeping, suicidal thoughts, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores ranging from 31 to 55. The Board found that the criteria for a total schedular evaluation for schizophrenia with depression have been met.

The veteran's claims for service connection for depression, hypertension, and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability were denied. The July 1982 rating decision denying service connection for hypertension was upheld as not involving clear and unmistakable error.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for depression was granted, and the other two issues regarding degenerative changes at L5-S1 with disc bulge and migraine headaches were not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as his claim for increased evaluations of his knee disabilities. The psychiatric disability was granted but with some limitation due to its secondary nature to the knee conditions.

The Board granted service connection for major depression with generalized anxiety disorder and dysthymia effective from January 7, 1994. The veteran's claim for a higher rating for her psychiatric condition was also granted. However, the issue of TMJ syndrome remains at a 10% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bladder cancer, depression, and anxiety.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded and have been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for her hypothyroidism and service connection for calcium depletion, obesity, anxiety, and depression as secondary to her service-connected hypothyroidism. The RO must review the case in light of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed as moot because the Board has already awarded an effective date of October 17, 1984 for the TDIU rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for major depression was denied in June 1993 and affirmed by the Court. The claim was reopened on July 31, 1995, and granted effective from that date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for migraine headaches, depressive disorder, memory loss, and joint aches of the knees and elbows are not legally meritorious as they do not meet the criteria for service connection due to an undiagnosed illness. The symptoms have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as her conditions are not related to her military service.

The veteran's daughter, who had a psychiatric disorder since age 11, is not considered permanently incapable of self-support at the time she turned 18, thus denying her eligibility for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits.

The veteran's PTSD is being evaluated, but additional evidence and development are needed to determine the appropriate rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, depression, and an allergic skin rash was denied due to insufficient evidence of a service-connected stressor. The RO is directed to attempt to obtain additional records from SSA and VA.