Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2005

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected narrowing of the L5-S1 joint space with lumbosacral strain was denied. The RO found that the current evaluation (60%) adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and thus service connection for such a condition is denied.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge from service, under OTH conditions, was dishonorable for VA purposes and thus constituted a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and that psychiatric disability other than PTSD was not incurred or aggravated during active service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability (claimed as a nervous condition) and found that new and material evidence has been received. The claim will now be reviewed on its merits.

The Board denied reopening the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and found that new and material evidence was not received. The claim for service connection for PTSD was also denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, low back disability, and right knee disability. The claim to reopen the psychiatric disorder was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for both the low back and right knee disabilities were also denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's psychiatric disorder, finding that it is directly related to his active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected schizophrenia, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for status post cholecystectomy, a psychiatric disorder, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, all asserted to be secondary to her service-connected hysterectomy. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current mental health conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, including major depression, is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and information from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate disability, and psychiatric disability have not been reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed in-service stressors were not verified, and there is no current diagnosis of PTSD based on his verified combat-related stressors. The objective medical evidence does not show a currently diagnosed psychiatric disorder related to his period of active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and psychiatric treatment records.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder or an undiagnosed illness manifested by joint pain, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder, residuals of shrapnel wounds to the shoulder and back, depression, and cancer were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions or their relationship to service.

The Board found that the veteran's schizophrenia did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter and is not related to any incident of service. As such, the claim for service connection for schizophrenia was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder, best characterized as schizoaffective disorder, is more likely than not related to his military service. The claim for service connection is granted.