Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe is granted. The Board finds the evidence in at least approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's MDD had its onset during his period of active service and grants this claim. However, the issues regarding a disability rating for lumbosacral degenerative arthritis and paraspinal muscular strain, service connection for a right foot disability, effective dates for temporary total evaluations, and noncompensable rating for lumbar scar are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. Claims for bilateral hearing loss and right eye disorder are remanded, as well as the psychiatric disorder claim.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and bilateral plantar fasciitis, as well as his claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and OSA. The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied due to lack of new and material evidence, while the claim to reopen the issue of service connection for OSA was granted based on new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and PTSD, is remanded due to the need for further development regarding stressor verification and etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened and is granted. The case is remanded to obtain verification of in-service stressors and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder is granted a 100 percent rating, which represents total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed before a decision can be made on these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (recurrent depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder) and a right lower extremity disorder (right lower extremity tendonitis, well healed distal fibula injury with mild irregularity seen on X-ray, Achilles tendinopathy).

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete compliance with previous instructions, requiring a new VA psychiatric examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, dysthymic disorder, and mood disorder, is granted. The case is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his mental health conditions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and PTSD were rated at 100% from February 26, 2013 to June 26, 2017 due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 7, 2017 was dismissed.,For the period prior to July 22, 2015, his psychiatric disorder did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and determining if any psychiatric disorder is related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, finding that his symptoms more closely approximated a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD with Depressive Disorder and TDIU prior to February 2, 2023 are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence after a recent SSOC.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, but remanded the secondary service connection claim for MDD and TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety, and PTSD), a sleep disability, hemorrhoids, a right hip disability, and chronic joint pain. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims of in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension was denied because he failed to provide necessary evidence and did not meet the criteria of being permanently and totally disabled from nonservice-connected disability.