Depression Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection of depression, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, is granted as service-connected. The left shoulder strain is also granted as service-connected. However, the bilateral ankle disability and left thumb disability are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need to verify the Veteran's in-service stressor involving his best friend who died in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the discontinuance of SMC at the housebound rate was improper and has revised the effective date to October 1, 2022. The Veteran's entitlement to SMC benefits is now correct as of this date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with MST and depression. The evidence supports a finding that his current condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeals for increased ratings of migraine headaches, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, and an anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder. The Board dismissed these appeals as per the Veteran's requests.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied as there is no legal entitlement to an earlier effective date than May 7, 2021.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety with depression, was not incurred in or related to his military service. The claims for left knee condition, right knee injury, low back injury, and individual unemployability are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD, depression, social anxiety, and insomnia disorder, has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran experienced severe stressors in-service related to his mother's terminal illness and brother's murder, which led to current mental health conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of evidence. The Board cannot proceed without these steps.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and tendinopathy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee.

The Veteran's depressive disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity from November 28, 2018 to August 15, 2019. A higher initial 70 percent rating was granted for this period.

The appeal to reduce the PTSD disability rating from 70% to 50%, and to discontinue SMC, is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for his service-connected psychiatric disorders is dismissed because it is duplicative of another pending appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The AOJ failed to obtain a VA examination that considered whether his current disability is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD and depression have been granted. The claim for atrial fibrillation with pacemaker is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's claim was not based on new evidence associated with his service personnel records after a final denial in 1986.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder, status post left and right Achilles tendon surgery, and left knee chondromalacia disabilities. The opinion provided by a private healthcare provider established that the Veteran's weight gain from his service-connected conditions was a substantial factor in causing his OSA.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions and need for further examination regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, including depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically depressive disorder with insomnia, is rated at 50 percent and the claim for a higher rating is denied.