Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2005

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA psychiatric examination to determine if his schizophrenia is related to service, specifically an episode of pneumonia during active duty.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of competent evidence showing current disabilities.

The veteran's PTSD has been granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective from May 10, 2002. The total compensation claim for unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is pending and will be remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), finding that the veteran did not have a significant psychiatric disorder during his time in service and that there is no evidence of PTSD caused by an event that occurred in service.

The veteran's claimed paranoid schizophrenia was not shown to be related to service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for schizophrenia, which was previously denied in July 1980. The veteran's testimony at a personal hearing and additional medical evidence from VA have provided sufficient grounds to consider the merits of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development of records and to obtain a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board determined that the effective date for a 70 percent disability rating for schizophrenia should be March 5, 2001, as this is the earliest date on which an increase in disability was shown to have occurred.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, as his psychiatrist did not provide sufficient information regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including depression and dysthymic disorder, were not incurred during military service or within a year of separation. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development of records from a VA medical center in Long Beach, California.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder as there is no evidence of such condition during his period of active duty training, and he is not eligible for presumptive service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected schizophrenia does not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as it did not manifest with certain specified symptoms.

The veteran's surviving spouse is appealing the denial of service connection for the cause of his death. The Board has determined that a medical opinion on whether the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability either caused or contributed to his death is needed.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the veteran had a psychiatric disability prior to enlistment, and concluded that schizophrenia was not etiologically related to active service.

The veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for schizophrenia, finding that no new and material evidence has been received since the final denial in November 1994.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include schizophrenia, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's service-connected myofascial back pain syndrome is currently rated at 20 percent, effective June 26, 2000. The claim for a higher rating and earlier effective date are both granted.

The veteran's schizophrenia is currently rated at 50 percent disabling and the VA has determined that he is not unemployable due to his service-connected disability.