Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his depressive disorder with anxiety, both prior to January 3, 2020 and from January 3, 2020. The reasons include the need to obtain VA treatment records and additional private medical records.

Your service connection claims for a lumbar spine disability and a psychiatric disorder have been granted. However, the appeal is dismissed as your benefit has already been fully awarded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include anxiety, adjustment disorder, depression, memory loss, and sleep apnea (SA), due to inadequate examination opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and an unspecified depressive disorder were denied, as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions. The claim for increased evaluation in excess of 30 percent for cholelithiasis, irritable bowel syndrome, and dyspepsia with right upper quadrant pain was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings for TBI with other specified depressive disorder has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at 70 percent since January 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU from the same date due to unemployability caused by these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and stress related boils due to potential issues with current diagnoses and lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and anxiety and major depressive disorder are found to be related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for anxiety, chronic adjustment disorder (claimed as depression), and PTSD due to a predecisional duty to assist error regarding whether the Veteran's motorcycle accident occurred during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate analysis of the Veteran's symptoms prior to February 2019, and a need for a retrospective opinion regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for PTSD with MDD and TBI was granted, effective April 10, 2015.,SMC at the rate provided by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) based on need for regular aid and attendance was also granted, effective April 10, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition and concluding that his current disorders are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation of acquired psychiatric disability is denied as the evidence does not show that his condition warranted such a rating prior to November 30, 2020.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied because no claim was received within one year before January 11, 2018. The earliest communication regarding TDIU was on the same day as his claim for a higher rating of acquired psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for SMC based on housebound criteria and Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility are denied because he did not have a permanent total service-connected disability prior to January 11, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for trichotillomania and major depressive disorder due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claims must be addressed again with proper medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been granted, effective January 22, 2019.,A remand is ordered to reassess the rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability, now including PTSD and depression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development and lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, headaches, and CAD as secondary to a current non-service-connected depressive disorder due to an inadequate opinion in the December 2020 VA addendum.