Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2008

The veteran's three months and six days of Active Duty for Training is considered qualifying service for seeking service connection for disease or injury incurred during such training.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding the nature of the veteran's current psychiatric disorder and because the claims for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder are inextricably intertwined. The claim will be reviewed under all appropriate statutory and regulatory provisions.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a confirmed stressor in service which would support a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or an opinion that any other psychiatric disorder was caused or aggravated by service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include post-traumatic stress disorder is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, including a mood disorder, finding that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim.

The Board found no evidence of a current psychiatric disability related to service, including PTSD. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has found no evidence linking the veteran's claimed conditions to his active duty service, except for bilateral hearing loss. The current existence of tinnitus and a mental disorder (claimed as nervousness) is not supported by competent medical evidence. Service connection is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder during service or within one year after service, and there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's current psychiatric disorder to her period of active military service. Therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied.

The veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as he does not meet the income and net worth requirements of the program.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of such disorder in service or related to service.

The veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disability and hepatitis C were denied as the conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder on a direct basis and alternatively as secondary to his service-connected right arm disability. The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current depression to the service-connected right arm disability.

The veteran's appeal is being REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, D.C. for further review.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses for most of his claimed conditions, and those with current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence linking them to military service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as they are not related to his military service or due to an undiagnosed illness experienced during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed low back and neck disabilities are not related to service, and her claim for an acquired psychiatric disability is denied due to lack of credible evidence supporting a nexus to service.

The Board has denied all service connection claims for various psychiatric, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and respiratory conditions. The veteran's service records are silent on these issues, and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that any of the claimed conditions existed prior to service or were aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for mustard gas exposure, personality disorder, chronic anxiety due to medication, alcohol abuse, and peptic ulcer disease. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Board dismissed the issue of whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen a previously denied claim for PTSD. The Board also determined that an effective date earlier than January 21, 2004 for the award of service connection for chronic paranoid schizophrenia was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and denied service connection for right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the onset of the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and whether it is related to service. The case will be returned for further consideration.