Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and sleep impairment is rated at 70 percent since May 26, 2016. The effective date for service connection has been denied as no earlier claim was received. A TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was rated at 70 percent prior to September 13, 2018. A 100 percent rating is granted for the period from September 13, 2018, but no earlier. The case of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and MDD is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD with major depression) are granted. The Board finds new and relevant evidence sufficient to readjudicate these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete review of medical records and a need for a new opinion.

The Veteran's proposed reduction from a 70% to a 50% rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder was not appealable as it was only a proposal and not a final decision. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination and insufficient medical evidence to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that his current diagnoses of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety condition are proximately due to his service-connected back disability.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD and alcohol use disorder and unspecified depressive disorder, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for service connection. The claim for residuals of back injury is remanded.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for depressive disorder was increased to 70 percent, but the Board denied an increase beyond this rating and also denied a TDIU based on a single disability due to his service-connected depressive disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's reported stressors and to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain a substantially gainful occupation since March 10, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for recurrent head injury residuals and acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder) due to insufficient medical opinions provided by the VA examiners.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected panic disorder, depression, and anxiety attacks is being remanded due to a failure to obtain a new examination given the evidence suggesting a worsening of symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his mental health disabilities and TDIU is being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from September 2019 onwards. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be addressed together.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for major depressive disorder, and the claim is now dismissed as moot.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in providing proper notice and obtaining evidence related to the Veteran's reported in-service personal assault, as well as a need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition and its relationship to service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including incomplete sexual trauma development and inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and Depressive Disorder will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not result in an inability to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to May 9, 2020. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due solely to his service-connected conditions.