Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The VA is asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is related to his service due to racial harassment he experienced during military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the other issues related to PTSD and psychiatric disorders, low back disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to incomplete or inadequate evidence.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD with major depressive disorder due to new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied. The claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and denied service connection for Depression. The Veteran's PTSD is related to his active service, while the depression symptoms are considered part of his PTSD.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for psychiatric disability is dismissed. The issue of entitlement to service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from March 1, 2017, due to his service-connected Depressive Disorder and associated disabilities preventing him from securing or maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have been dismissed as moot due to their having already been granted in a December 2020 rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for depressive disorder with bipolar disorder II has been granted effective April 9, 2019.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the AOJ not having considered his service-connected low back disability, which was granted and assigned a rating effective from April 30, 2014. The combined rating now includes three disabilities, potentially qualifying him for schedular TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD and major depressive disorder, as well as TDIU, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence from SSA.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), finding that the evidence is in approximate balance regarding these conditions and their relationship to service. The Veteran's reported in-service stressors have been corroborated by credible supporting evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to her symptoms being mild or transient.,Both left and right tibial stress fractures are currently rated at 10 percent each under DC 5260/5003.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to September 13, 2014, resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring the Veteran to be provided with a VA examination to assess his acquired psychiatric disabilities and their relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities. Service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of corroborated stressor evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder (UDD) is granted a rating of 70 percent, but no higher. The issue of entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has been remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to readjudicate her claims for service connection for right shoulder, rotator cuff tendonitis and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim of service connection for right shoulder, rotator cuff tendonitis is remanded due to new evidence supporting a link between the condition and military service. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending as there are no clear indications that it was not incurred in or caused by service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder and diabetes mellitus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective May 28, 2021. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.