Depression Board decisions

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death by suicide may be linked to his in-service psychiatric symptoms.

Your appeal to increase the rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder has been dismissed because it was improperly docketed under the AMA. The Veteran already had a pending legacy appeal, so this new appeal is not valid.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of major depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected bilateral varicose veins is granted, with an effective date of July 21, 2004.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and depression due to insufficient evidence verifying the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor event, specifically a helicopter crash during active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to duty-to-assist errors in previous decisions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 24, 2020. As of April 24, 2020, the criteria for a TDIU were met.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with substance abuse disorder required hospital treatment in a VA facility for more than 21 days during the period from March 25, 2021 to June 25, 2021. The Board granted a temporary total evaluation based on this requirement.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are consistent with the current 50 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and requests that the AOJ attempt to locate and associate any outstanding enlistment examination records with the Veteran's file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), plantar fasciitis left lower extremity, plantar fasciitis right lower extremity, and left shoulder disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right hand disability, low back disability, and psychiatric disability are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal to remove his spouse as a dependent from his VA benefits was dismissed because the proposed removal was not a final decision and the spouse had been reinstated.

The Board has found that the VA examination provided in June 2023 was inadequate and remanded for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment is dismissed as moot because it has already been granted. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hair loss due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to insufficient information regarding his employment status during the period of appeal. The Veteran was employed part-time until at least November 2022, and additional information is needed to determine if he meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis and major depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected PTSD is granted, with the highest possible rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of his psychiatric disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his psychiatric disability is remanded.