Depression Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depression and anxiety, finding that obesity acted as an intermediate step in a causal chain.

The Veteran's service-connected Post-Partum Depression with Unspecified Anxiety Disorder resulted in her discharge from the Army National Guard, qualifying her for VA home loan guaranty benefits.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disability was denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection were also denied.,The Veteran is granted TDIU as of February 23, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and dismissed the DIC under 38 USC § 1151 appeal as the issue is moot due to granting of service connection.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and social phobia, has been granted a 100% disability rating effective February 16, 2017. The appeal for TDIU prior to December 12, 2019 is mooted due to the grant of a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 15, 2010, for the grant of a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD and major depressive disorder is granted. The issue of entitlement to an increased evaluation prior to April 23, 2018, remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder. The AOJ is required to obtain SSA records and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral lumbosacral disorder, anxiety, and depression have been dismissed due to the identical nature of the requests submitted on multiple occasions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for chronic kidney disease and major depressive disorder, including secondary claims. As a result, the Board dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The Veteran is now entitled to a rating of 30 percent for his other specified anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder (also claimed as major depressive disorder). His claims for tinnitus, tension headaches, degenerative joint disease in the right foot, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction are also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety with depression and memory loss as due to an undiagnosed illness, was dismissed because the appeal is moot since their major depressive disorder has already been granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, to include as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric condition (persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress), should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder are due to military sexual trauma (MST) and in-service personal trauma, respectively. The benefit of doubt is applied, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's major depression, recurrent moderately severe (previously rated as adjustment disorder with depressed mood), is granted a 70 percent disability rating for the period prior to January 17, 2020. For the period beginning from January 17, 2020, his major depression is granted a 100 percent disability rating.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction, right knee condition, PTSD with depression, OSA, and left lower extremity radiculopathy as they have already been granted in prior decisions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is being reviewed again.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected depression and anxiety have been granted a 70 percent disability evaluation from March 2, 2016. The Board found that the symptoms of near-continuous depression, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships meet the criteria for a 70 percent rating.

The Board granted an effective date of June 29, 2020, for a 100 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder (MDD) with anxious distress, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The decision found that the Veteran's symptoms worsened on June 29, 2020, leading to the grant of the increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an initial examination and opinion regarding the claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The appellant's VA treatment records include diagnoses for depression and anxiety.