Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2008

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting seizure disorder did not increase in severity during service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a prostate disorder and psychiatric disorder, finding no direct link to service or presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral knee disability, disability manifested by chest pain, or sleep apnea. The claims for service connection for these conditions are therefore denied. Service connection is granted for a psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder), heel spurs, and bilateral shoulder arthritis.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic renal failure and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to his current deployment. He needs to be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the lump on his right hand, tinnitus, and any acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD and depressive disorder.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and granted a 60 percent rating effective July 26, 2000. The increased rating for DDD with low back pain and radiculopathy remains at 40 percent.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining additional medical records and attempting to corroborate his claimed stressors. The case is being remanded to the RO.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records, verify the veteran's claimed assault, and determine if he meets the criteria for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Harris County Hospital District and scheduling VA examinations. The veteran's claims of service connection for a pulmonary disability (claimed as COPD) and an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression and bipolar disorder) are being reviewed.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring special home adaptation due to lack of evidence regarding service connection and other relevant factors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia is as likely as not due to military service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's mental disorders are not related to his service and denied both his claim for service connection and his request for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and memory loss due to new evidence. The veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his in-service stressors involving seeing dead bodies in Iraq.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic disability during service and insufficient medical evidence to link the current psychiatric disorder to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbosacral spine strain with degenerative changes, tension headaches, right upper and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndromes, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder), right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability. The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing right knee disability was not aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that additional development is required to substantiate the veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, including obtaining inpatient and outpatient records from Bethesda Naval Hospital and other facilities where he received psychiatric treatment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and right ear hearing loss, finding no evidence of a current disability related to his military service. The claim for right ear hearing loss was also denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his in-service diagnosis of anxiety, insomnia, and mild depression.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as bipolar disorder, was incurred or aggravated by service. The preponderance of medical evidence does not link any current psychiatric condition to military service.