Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of sufficient evidence to decide the claim, including an indication that the current disability may be associated with the Veteran's service. The Veteran should have been provided a VA mental health examination.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, which includes conversion and insomnia disorder as well as depression, is rated at 100 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities most closely approximate the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating due to total occupational and social impairment caused by symptoms such as near continuous depression affecting ability to function independently, suicidal ideation, difficulty adapting to social situations, and inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his current psychiatric condition is at least as likely as not related to his service, including two in-flight incidents involving an emergency landing and near crash over the ocean. The appeal was decided on the merits of the direct service connection theory.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, lower back problem, and bilateral shoulder pain are all found to be related to his service, specifically his time as a paratrooper. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities because of incomplete examination and need for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for depression associated with recurrent lumbosacral strain due to further examination and readjudication.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, has been granted.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The claims for service connection for headaches, back disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, and anxiety disorder/depression have been reopened.,The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been reopened.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's participation in the VA Chapter 31 vocational rehabilitation training program may have caused an adjustment disorder, but it is unclear if this is a new condition or a recharacterization of existing conditions. The case is being remanded for further examination to clarify these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and right upper extremity cervical radulopathy, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities began during active service.

The Board previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the Court ordered a remand due to incomplete personnel records and unverified stressor. The case is now being sent back for further development including obtaining missing military personnel files and requesting an addendum opinion on the Veteran's psychiatric conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, due to insufficient examination findings. The Veteran's mental health history must be fully reviewed and all diagnosed conditions must be considered in determining service connection.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for heart disease, hypertension, and chest pain due to inadequate examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or bedridden, thus denying entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors/events during service aboard the USS Gunston Hall, which is related to his psychiatric disorders.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet, hepatitis C, residuals of venereal disease (to include herpes), right wrist condition, bilateral hip conditions, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for depression, diabetes mellitus type II, glaucoma, and sleep apnea. Service connection was also remanded for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder, finding that it is a symptom of his already service-connected Major Depressive Disorder.

The Veteran is granted a 60 percent rating for heart disease, effective July 25, 2016. He also receives a schedular TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's diagnosed mental health disorders, specifically major depressive disorder.