Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2005

The veteran's claim of entitlement to a higher rating for his service-connected schizophrenia is being remanded due to the need for additional development and readjudication, including an examination to assess the impact on employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting opinions from examiners and a need to establish the qualifications of those who provided previous opinions.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder, insomnia, TMJ, dark urine disorder, Chlamydia, and headaches on a direct basis. The skin disorder was not found to be related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, skin disability, and peripheral neuropathy. The veteran's claims were based on his in-service treatment for these conditions but the evidence did not establish current disabilities or link them to service.,There is no evidence of a current psychiatric disability, chronic skin condition, or peripheral neuropathy related to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to determine if symptoms of schizophrenia were present within the initial post-service year.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, finding no evidence linking his current condition to military service.

The veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rates for improved pension benefits from 2001 to 2003. His claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus secondary to Agent Orange exposure is pending due to additional development required, and his claims for psychiatric disability are also pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions to determine if he has additional disability as a result of VA's failure to promptly treat his complaints in March 1994.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA psychiatric examination to evaluate the severity of his PTSD and anxiety disorder with mixed anxiety and depressive features. The claim will be held in abeyance pending resolution of the increased rating claim for the service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen her psychiatric disability, finding that no new factual basis for allowing the claim had been presented since the last denial in September 1988.

The Board has remanded the claims due to a lack of original Social Security Administration (SSA) decision and supporting medical records, which may contain relevant information for the veteran's claims.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depression with psychotic features and schizophrenia. The Board also found that the veteran had a lumbar spine strain and sprain, right shoulder injury, cervical spine condition, anal fissures, and hemorrhoids that are presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board found that the veteran's actions resulting in the shooting death of another serviceman constituted willful misconduct, and denied service connection for PTSD because the sole stressor related to service used to support a diagnosis of PTSD was his shooting death of the fellow serviceman.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records and ensuring compliance with VCAA notice requirements.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired neuropsychiatric disorder. The claim is granted as the evidence does not show a current disability, but also does not establish a link between any diagnosed condition and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is reasonably attributable to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's cervical spine disability and his psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disorder is not related to his military service and cannot be considered secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Therefore, the claim for service connection on both direct and secondary bases is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication of issues related to service connection, including a knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia.