Depression Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand to address the veteran's claims of PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, including alcohol and drug abuse, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and major depression. The examiner is instructed to determine if learning about the deaths of his friends constituted a sufficient stressor for PTSD and whether any other diagnosed conditions are related to service.

The veteran's major depression is manifested by total occupational and social impairment, including symptoms such as gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent danger of hurting self or others, and intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence supports a 100 percent evaluation for major depression.

The veteran's claims for service connection are granted, with the conditions being related to undiagnosed illnesses and reopening of his claims based on new evidence.

The Board denied the reopening of both claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that it does not have jurisdiction to decide the matter of attorney fees eligibility, as addressed by the Court in Scates v. Gober.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected anxiety neurosis with depression does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, other than PTSD. The case is now remanded to determine if there are well-grounded claims and to conduct further development as needed.

The veteran's depression is found to be related to his service-connected PTSD. The claim for substance abuse is not well-grounded.

The Board denied service connection for major depression and degenerative joint disease of the left knee as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for depression secondary to migraine headaches is not well-grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence linking his depression to service or to his service-connected migraine headaches.

The Board has determined that the veteran's atypical psychosis disorder, when evaluated under the current rating criteria, meets the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, as well as insufficient medical evidence linking his current depression to service.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder during service or for many years following separation, and thus denied the veteran's claims for service connection. The Board also noted that there was insufficient evidence to support an increased disability evaluation for low back strain.

The veteran's claim for disability compensation for residuals of colostomy, including damaged nerves, loss of sexual function, depression, and chronic pain as a result of VA hospitalization in 1994 is denied because there is no competent medical evidence associating these conditions with the 1994 VA care.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and entitlement to DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that there was no legal merit to these claims.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for bipolar disorder and found that the veteran's major depression produces severe impairment in his ability to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, personality disorder, and major depression with psychosis. The claim for PTSD was not well-grounded due to a lack of evidence showing a nexus between current symptoms and an in-service stressor. The claims for personality disorder and major depression were legally insufficient as these are not diseases or injuries that can be service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his nonservice-connected pension benefits, finding that he did not meet the criteria for a retroactive award due to insufficient evidence of incapacitation or extensive hospitalization in 1994. The effective date remains January 29, 1998.

The veteran's PTSD resulted in severe impairment from March 21, 1994 to December 3, 1996. From December 4, 1996, the rating for PTSD was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation.

The veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for PTSD with depression and anxiety was dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the pendency of the appeal.