Depression Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for flat feet, residuals of a back injury, and depression are not well-grounded. As such, the appeals were denied.

The veteran's overpayment of disability pension benefits was waived due to his inadvertent failure to report receipt of Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, which were effective from March 1997. The Board found that the veteran's misrepresentation did not rise to the level of fraud or bad faith.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for major depression, hypertension, and cervical disc disease due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claim of a disability rating greater than 30 percent for PTSD with depression is being remanded due to the need for additional information from a VA psychiatrist regarding the nature and severity of his psychiatric symptoms.

The veteran's disabilities, including his cervical spine and lung conditions, depression, heroin abuse, and alcohol dependence, do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for a depressive disorder. The issues of service connection for back, heart, right knee and right eye disorders, and increased evaluations for foot fungus and stomach lipomas are also addressed.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal regarding the increased ratings for HIV infection and major depression with anxiety features, effectively dismissing these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation of his service-connected atypical seizure disorder and for service connection of major depression, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support either claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety with depression and involutional melancholia warrants a 70 percent rating, reflecting severe social and industrial impairment.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for depression, concluding that there is no competent evidence showing a disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for depression, hypertension, heart disease, stomach disability, and back disability are not well-grounded.

The veteran's VA disability compensation is subject to recoupment of the monetary amount in special separation benefit paid at separation from service, but not for Federal income taxes withheld.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD, anxiety, depression, and dysthymia are currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The appellant's claim for an increased disability evaluation for service-connected major depression is being remanded due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board denied service connection for dysthymia and/or depression in August 1997, finding the claim not well grounded due to lack of evidence linking current symptoms to service. The motion alleging clear and unmistakable error was denied.

The Board has granted a 100 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction disorder, effective from when it was last rated at 100 percent in March 1965. The claim for TDIU based on this disability is rendered moot by the assignment of a total (100 percent) schedular rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and major depressive disorder are not well grounded.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD with depression and anxiety, and also denied entitlement to TDIU.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a permanent and total rating for pension purposes was denied as his disabilities did not meet the criteria for such a rating.

The veteran's major depression and cervical spine disability were granted increased ratings, with the latter effective September 3, 1996.