Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2005

The Board granted service connection for schizophrenia on a presumptive basis, effective from April 6, 1989.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for a psychiatric examination.

The veteran's spouse is denied accrued benefits because the veteran did not apply for dependency allowance after VA notified him of the change in law on October 1, 1978.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the veteran's current psychiatric disorder and his military service. The veteran must provide information about all health care providers who have treated him for a psychiatric disability, including records from Larned State Hospital in 1971.

The veteran's claims for headaches, skin condition, hair loss, psychiatric condition, and lower extremity circulatory complaints with leg muscle cramps due to undiagnosed illness were all denied. The service-connected low back disability was granted an increased rating of 40 percent.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that there was no persuasive medical evidence of a nexus between any current psychiatric disability other than PTSD and the appellant's military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic paranoid schizophrenia existed prior to service and was likely aggravated by his military training, leading to a decision in favor of granting service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder, including a psychosis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim. The Board also noted that the pre-existing fear of heights did not increase during service.

The veteran's appeal was granted, and he is now entitled to a total (100%) disability rating for his service-connected schizophrenia.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of combat involvement or verified in-service stressors. The veteran's current diagnoses were not linked to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and a psychiatric disability. The low back disability was also denied as not incurred in service.

The RO reduced the veteran's disability rating from 100% to 70%, effective October 1, 1984. The decision is based on a finding that there was material improvement in the veteran's mental condition under ordinary conditions of life.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions and thus, service connection cannot be established. The veteran's claims are denied.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of TDIU is granted, with the effective date set at January 6, 2003.

The veteran's skin disability and respiratory symptoms are service connected, but diabetes mellitus is not. The psychiatric disability claim remains pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye disorder, psychiatric disorder, and sarcoidosis. The claim to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for alcoholism is also denied.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining records of his psychiatric treatment and a VA examination to assess his current mental health status.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of schizophrenia, finding that the earliest possible effective date was May 11, 1992.

The Board denied service connection for psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders, finding that the veteran's conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an innocently acquired psychiatric disability due to disease or injury incurred in service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.