Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal through their authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of evidence regarding military sexual trauma and work performance issues. The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD, anxiety, and depression related to MST is being reconsidered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent depressive disorder and bilateral hearing loss, are severe enough to prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Veteran received a 60 percent rating for GERD since March 21, 2015, and a 30 percent rating for IBS since the same date. A more than 70 percent rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, depressive disorder, and insomnia disorder was denied as of June 6, 2024.

The Veteran's depressive disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but not to the level of total occupational and social impairment. The Board found that a higher evaluation was not warranted.

The Veteran's request to restore a 70 percent rating for her psychiatric conditions was granted.,Her claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder and other service-connected disorders was denied. However, she was granted service connection for major depressive disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, based on the Veteran's in-service stressor of witnessing a fellow soldier who had died by suicide.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound status and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective dates are February 18, 2014 for SMC and February 19, 2014 for DEA.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which was granted a permanent and total rating from February 18, 2014. This resulted in the assignment of earlier effective dates for both SMC and DEA benefits.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for migraine headaches and PTSD, bipolar II disorder, and persistent depressive disorder with traumatic brain injury have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, requiring further examination and opinion regarding his respiratory disability and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with features of anxious distress is rated at 70 percent disabling from November 30, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating remains pending.

The Veteran seeks service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and MDD. The Board has determined that remand is necessary to clarify the current diagnosis of ED and provide a more definitive opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board has found service connection for alcohol use disorder, but denied service connection for depression. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue and denies another.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, is granted service connection. Service connection for bilateral eye disability and migraine headaches secondary to low back disability are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected persistent depressive disorder (PDD) has rendered her unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, and the Board affords her the benefit of doubt in granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 10, 2019 for the increased rating and TDIU awards due to continuous pursuit of claims since January 10, 2019.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder (in sustained remission), is rated at a 100 percent disability rating due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to February 19, 2010, for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to several service-connected disabilities, including left temporomandibular disorder (TMD), allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since December 3, 2022. The Board found that the evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment, which would warrant a higher rating.