Depression Board decisions

The Board has granted an effective date of February 28, 2001 for the award of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and adjustment reaction with anxious mood. The Veteran's claim encompassed a secondary claim for this condition due to his prostate cancer.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions including thoracolumbar spine disorder, anxiety, depression, headaches, tinnitus, and an eye disorder due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's depression and anxiety are currently rated at 50 percent, but a higher 70 percent rating is granted effective January 23, 2014. The earlier effective date for TDIU prior to December 29, 2017 is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spondylosis, and bilateral feet condition have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence or examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than major depressive disorder, including adjustment reaction, as there is no objective evidence of a separate psychiatric disability at this time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to various pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and examinations.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD with alcohol use disorder in remission, is rated at 70 percent from February 25, 2020 to November 29, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating or TDIU prior to that date remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and various depressive disorders. The VA examiner is to review the medical records, consider the Veteran's contentions about in-service trauma, and provide a new opinion on whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for his service-connected major depressive disorder and Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, right ankle disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, peripheral vestibular disorder, a disability manifested by passing out, obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, low back disability, psychiatric disorders, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his lumbar spine disability and depressive disorder with sleep disturbances, have rendered him unable to secure and maintain a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 11, 2020. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's appeal for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding his mental health diagnoses. The appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is also remanded due to the need for AOJ review of additional VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remands. The Veteran's claims are back before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to March 14, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition, specifically schizophrenia. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's schizophrenia had its onset in service and if his behavior issues were initial manifestations.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the remand requests and therefore, this claim must again be remanded. The Veteran is seeking higher initial ratings for a service-connected psychiatric disability and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder and back disability, but denied the petition to reopen a claim for right knee disability. The appeals are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's character of discharge from service is not a bar to VA compensation benefits. The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder and associated alcohol abuse, is granted.