Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2011

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability due to new and material evidence submitted by the Veteran's brother. The claim will now be considered on its merits.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder and reopened his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder on the basis of new and material evidence. The appeal is remanded to further develop this claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The claims will be reconsidered based on new information.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The evidence received since the previous denial shows a current diagnosis of PTSD linked to in-service stressors related to fear of hostile military activity during the Persian Gulf War. As such, the claim is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed back condition did not have chronic and continuous symptomatology since service, nor was it etiologically related to her active military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a back condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to additional evidence received since April 2005. The issues of service connection for bilateral pes planus with degenerative joint disease of the feet and whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic schizophrenia had its onset during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the acquired psychiatric disorder other than anxiety and depression was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. A skin disorder was not shown to be causally related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, to include treatment for a skin condition. The right foot disorder was also not shown to be causally related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. The decision is based on new evidence that reopened her previously denied claims.

The Board found no evidence of a sexual assault during service and concluded that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran does not have an established diagnosis of PTSD or a verified stressor, and therefore the claim for service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current schizoaffective disorder is related to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The case is REMANDED for obtaining missing VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability was denied. The claims for increased ratings of residuals of gunshot wounds to the left thigh muscle, residual scars from the gunshot wound to the left thigh, numbness to the left little finger, and residuals of the gunshot wound to the left hand muscles were also denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized by symptoms such as sleep and appetite problems, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, irritability, intermittent insomnia, avoidance of others, and anxiety attacks, warrants a 30 percent disability rating from October 29, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the etiology of his claimed PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder; dissociative disorder; multiple personality disorder; major depressive disorder; depression; and schizoaffective disorder. The examiner will also provide an opinion as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and mood disorder, is found to be related to his service. His skin disorder is also found to be related to his service. However, the hypertension claim remains pending as further development was required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of verified in-service stressors and no relationship between current symptoms and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's reports of experiencing psychiatric symptoms and receiving related treatment during service are not credible. The first post-service psychiatric treatment of record is in 2004, approximately 28 years after the Veteran's discharge from service. The only medical opinion of record addressing the etiology of the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder fails to relate it to service.