Depression Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease secondary to his service-connected chronic anxiety and depressive disorder, as well as his claim for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and service or any inservice exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, stress disorder, and asbestosis. The claim for hypertension was based on direct evidence of a current disability and its relationship to service. The claims for stress disorder and asbestosis were not well-grounded.

The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for depression secondary to a left knee disability is not well-grounded due to lack of competent evidence linking the current psychiatric symptomatology to the service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder was granted based on credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to rate the veteran's disability from his nonservice-connected mental disorder and to distinguish it from his history of alcohol abuse. The veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and extent of his disability, as well as the cause of his malnutrition and wasting syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance, finding that there was no clinical record prior to September 7, 1995, showing the criteria for aid and attendance benefits were met.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings and effective dates related to his service-connected conditions has been granted by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected major depression and dysthymia warrant a 50 percent disability rating, effective February 15, 1996. The claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disability was granted.

The veteran's generalized anxiety disorder with depression is found to be aggravated by his service-connected back disorder, and a rating of 60 percent for the ruptured lumbar disc is granted.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for a depressive disorder with tension headaches and PTSD is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination report, which did not provide sufficient explanation of the significance of the GAF score. The case will be returned to the RO for further development including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim is well-grounded as there is current evidence of a diagnosed condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depression with mood congruent psychotic features warrants a 100 percent evaluation, while his chronic asthmatic bronchitis is currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disorder and found it well grounded. The veteran's current low back disorder is related to his military service, and he also contends that his nervous disorder with depression, sleep disorder, indigestion, and motion sickness are all related to this back problem.

The Board found no evidence of a current acquired psychiatric disability present during or within one year after service, and concluded that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to her military service.

The veteran's TDIU was granted effective March 16, 2000. The RO found that the veteran had met the schedular criteria for consideration of a TDIU claim and there was evidence of current service-connected unemployability in his claims file.

The veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as a result of sexual trauma is plausible and the appeal is allowed.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected anxiety disorder and hypertension have been granted, with a 30 percent rating for the anxiety disorder effective from December 20, 1994.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking his current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as dysthymic disorder and major depression, to any incident of service.

The Board denied service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy and depression, finding no new evidence to support the claims.

The Board found that the veteran's symptoms did not manifest until after his service in Southwest Asia and were not supported by cognizable evidence showing they are due to an undiagnosed illness.