Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2009

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis/arthritis (OA), gastrointestinal disorders with nausea and heartburn, hypertension, cervical spine discogenic disease at C6-C7, C7-T1 and spondylosis, and a right foot disability (calcaneal spurs) as secondary to her service-connected costochondritis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new hearing before the Travel Board.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, but denied service connection for a skin disability. The decision is mixed as it grants some claims and denies others.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, is considered service-connected. The Veteran also has a compensable rating for his left middle finger fracture.

The Board denied service connection for depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and COPD. Service connection for hepatitis C was also denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran is rated as totally disabled for schizophrenia, but the Board has determined he is incompetent to manage his VA benefits due to his mental illness.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disability in service and the Veteran does not currently have such a disability. For his left testicle varicocele, while he reported having it noted and treated during service, the VA examiner found no current diagnosis or treatment for this condition. The claim for service connection for both conditions has been denied.

The Board is again remanding the claims for secondary service connection due to new and material evidence, as well as the claims for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for psoriatic arthritis of the left knee and for a TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of schizophrenia during the Veteran's period of military service or within the presumptive period, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right and left shoulder disorders, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, circulatory disorder, and sleep disorder are all granted as they are found to be aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder in November 2005. The appellant sought to reopen the claim, but new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims for service connection for a nervous condition to include depressive neurosis and for schizophrenic reaction, chronic, undifferentiated type. The Veteran's testimony and statements from his parents and sister support that he experienced symptoms of his current psychiatric disorder during active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for psychiatric disorders and seizure disorder, finding no current disability or disease due to spina bifida occulta. The claim was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including reopening of claims and consideration of all issues on appeal.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disorder in service and concluded that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of in-service stressors and a VA PTSD examination.

The veteran's service connection for postoperative left shoulder bursitis and tendinopathy was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation initially assigned in October 2007. The evaluation was increased to 20 percent effective February 22, 2007.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, Anxiety disorder, and Depressive disorder not otherwise specified was denied as there is no competent medical evidence indicating the presence of these conditions. The September 2005 VA compensation examiner did not diagnose PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV criteria.

The Board found that the appellant's psychiatric disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.