Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2009

The Veteran's service connection claims for schizophrenia and alcoholic hallucinations are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not competent to manage his own financial affairs without limitation due to his psychiatric conditions, and therefore denies direct payment of VA benefits.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board and RO denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, other than PTSD, alcoholism, and a right knee disability. The Veteran's claim of reopening the psychiatric disability was not successful due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, undifferentiated type, finding that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim. The Veteran's current diagnosis of schizophrenia is found to be related to his service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of records.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep apnea did not have onset during service or are otherwise related to his military service. The decision is mixed, with some issues granted (sleep apnea) and others denied (acquired psychiatric disorder).

The Veteran's tinnitus and acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder, are not service connected as they did not manifest during or follow active service. The Board finds that the current conditions are more likely related to post-service medical history rather than service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder related to service. The issues of service connection for low back, right hip, and right ankle conditions are also denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing these conditions are related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's neuropsychiatric disorder existed prior to his entrance into active duty and was not permanently made worse by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient notice and inadequate examination for service connection of a psychiatric disorder and an increased rating for chronic bronchitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a psychiatric disability, residuals of TORP surgery, numbness sensation in the left ear, unusual taste sensation on the left side, and swollen and stuffy left ear sensation. The Board found that these conditions were not related to service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is found to be related to his initial period of active service, and thus service connection for schizophrenia is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder did not have its onset in service and could not be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to Agent Orange or other environmental factors. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the current psychiatric condition is related to service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a diagnosed mental disorder, specifically schizophrenia, paranoid type. The Board has ordered further development of the record to include obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records, clarifying details about hospitalization during ACDUTRA, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and PTSD was denied by the Board. The appeal is remanded to complete additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and end stage renal disease, to include as secondary to exposure to herbicide agents. The evidence submitted was found not to be new or material.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development including obtaining service personnel records, hospital clinical records, and a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's schizophrenia had its onset during service or is related to his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia is manifested by symptoms that include sleep impairment, anger, irritability, suspiciousness, loss of appetite, anhedonia, isolation, flat affect, panic attacks more than once per week, tangential speech, poor concentration, suicidal ideation, and paranoid delusions with auditory and visual hallucinations. This has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent schedular rating for schizophrenia.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to uncertainty regarding whether the appellant's schizophrenia is related to his service, specifically during ACDUTRA from February 13, 2007 to June 28, 2007.