Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2003

The Board found that the cause of death, a pulmonary embolus, was not caused or contributed to by service-connected conditions. The right arm disability and schizophrenia were deemed unrelated to the veteran's death.

The veteran's schizophrenia is rated at a 100 percent disability evaluation, effective from the date of his original claim for service connection. His claim for total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is dismissed as moot.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The veteran does not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation benefits due to his service-connected prostatitis and nonservice-connected low back pain, headaches, and schizophrenia. His employment handicap is not caused by his service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been received since the August 1992 decision.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and there is no evidence of a nexus between any psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, and his military service. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disability, depression, is caused by her service-connected lumbosacral strain. The rating for lumbosacral strain has been increased to 40 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia due to new evidence submitted since the final denial in 1989.

The Board finds that the veteran's current schizophrenia had its onset during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder) is related to her military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's request for additional vocational rehabilitation training to pursue a doctorate in psychology was not feasible due to her psychiatric disability and other factors, leading to a denial of the claim.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his current back and psychiatric conditions are related to service, including reserve component service. The Board determined that any current disabilities were not incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board denied the veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including a psychosis. The evidence submitted since the last denial was not new and material.

The Board found no CUE in the February 1969 and December 1970 rating decisions regarding service connection for schizophrenia. The claim of new and material evidence was reopened, but the decision on whether there was CUE remains mixed as it affects different aspects of the veteran's claims.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and granted service connection for schizophrenia, finding that new evidence supports a link between symptoms in service and current disability.

The veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder is being remanded due to the implementation of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA). The VCAA requires VA to notify the claimant and the claimant's representative, if any, of any information and any medical or lay evidence not previously provided to the Secretary that is necessary to substantiate the claim. This includes informing the claimant of which portion, if any, of the evidence is to be provided by the claimant and which part, if any, VA will attempt to obtain on behalf of the claimant.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for obesity, a psychiatric disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and impotence. The evidence submitted since the August 1994 rating decision was not considered new and material to reopen any of these claims.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current psychiatric disability to his military service.