Depression Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide a VA examination. The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain syndrome.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted on August 4, 2018, the day following his separation from service. The effective date is based on the severity of his service-connected psychiatric and physical disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking a service-connected disability to the Veteran's suicide. The Veteran had major depressive disorder, but there was no established link between this condition and her active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A new VA medical opinion is needed to address the nature and etiology of his depression.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not resulted in total occupational and social impairment, but they do cause significant impairment.,The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that there was no current disability and insufficient evidence linking any diagnosed condition to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of lay reports and medical opinions, as well as failure to address separate diagnoses such as Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder. The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder are being sent back for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 70 percent for service-connected depressive disorder is denied. The effective date cannot be granted back to the original date of claim for service connection due to finality, and there are no records indicating that the Veteran first became entitled to this rating during the one-year lookback period.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is caused by his service-connected disabilities (major depressive disorder with somatic chronic pain disorder, right shoulder dislocation, and left shoulder supraspinatus tendinopathy).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU based on a single service-connected disability, finding that neither his right knee nor left knee disabilities alone have precluded him from gainful employment during the period on appeal.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of service connection for depressive disorder from March 2, 2010. The claim for secondary service connection for lumbosacral strain is remanded due to the need for a clarifying VA medical opinion.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. The evidence shows that these conditions began during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and VA survivor pension benefits due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder is being remanded due to the failure to obtain private treatment records from Dr. Y.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of persistent depressive disorder was granted with an effective date of March 12, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, and substance abuse disorder, finding that the Veteran's current mental health conditions are at least as likely as not caused by her in-service personal assault and harassment.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and medical opinions provided in the January 2020 rating decision were inadequate, and thus remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need to obtain additional service records and verify in-service stressors before making a final decision on the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including verifying the Veteran's reported in-service stressors and obtaining an addendum opinion clarifying the diagnoses.