Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including a psychotic disorder and depression, are caused or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of mixed anxiety depressive disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection of coronary artery disease and hypertension are granted, but the VA finds new evidence does not meet materiality criteria.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of 100 percent for depressive disorder has been granted. The issue of special monthly compensation for housebound/aid and attendance is being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had these conditions during or near the pendency of his claim.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as directly due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The Veteran's PTSD with major depression is granted a 70 percent initial evaluation, effective August 24, 2012.

The Veteran's initial rating for depression was granted at a 50 percent level, and no higher. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder, are found to be related to his military service. The Board grants the claim for service connection.

The appeal for service connection of a left hand disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have current hearing loss to a degree that qualifies as a ratable disability. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, knee, and hip disabilities due to potential aggravation by pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, but the Board denied a higher rating and TDIU due to insufficient evidence of occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including moderate to severe persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress (claimed as dysthymic disorder), is related to her combat deployment and experiences in service. The Board has granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's attorney withdrew all claims of service connection for various conditions, including polysubstance dependence, bipolar disorder, PTSD, bilateral foot peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, and renal failure. The Board dismissed these claims as the Veteran had withdrawn them.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a disability manifested by right eye blindness and an acquired psychiatric disorder, variously claimed as depression. The Veteran's current right eye blindness is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service. For the psychiatric claim, further examination is needed to determine if there are any other diagnosed conditions related to service or secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, somatic symptom disorder, major depression disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, was denied. The Veteran's cellulitis of the left lower extremity is also denied as not warranting a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA medical records, as well as providing new opinions regarding the relationship between his psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not establish a diagnosis of hypertension, nor was there any link between the Veteran's military service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that new evidence has been submitted and is requesting the AOJ to review this evidence for its impact on the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, MDD, and tinnitus. The AOJ will then issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).

The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 100 percent disabling from February 9, 2017 to January 11, 2021. Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) for the same period is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and clarification of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder as secondary to a service-connected disability. The TDIU claim is also being deferred until the service connection issue is resolved.