Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety with insomnia, major depression with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia, undifferentiated type, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are presumed to have existed prior to service, and were not aggravated by service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA licensed clinical psychologist regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of PTSD and T12 compression fracture, service connection for migraine headaches, COPD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The claim to reopen a COPD claim is referred to the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed schizophrenia was incurred in her period of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and a need for an addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, are being remanded due to the need for additional development of records from a Vet Center.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link between any diagnosed conditions and military service.

The Veteran's current organic personality syndrome with dementia is of service origin, and the Board has determined that it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors and his diagnosed personality disorders are not compensable disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation and a need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee and an acquired psychiatric disorder (diagnosed as PTSD). The Board found that there was no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within the applicable presumptive period, and that the medical opinion provided by the VA examiner did not support a relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a total schedular rating for service-connected schizophrenia is dismissed as the decision was final and no legal basis exists to overturn it.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA audiological and psychological examination to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's schizophrenia was initially rated at 10 percent prior to September 7, 2001. From September 7, 2001, to June 2, 2004, the rating was increased to 30 percent. Effective June 3, 2004, the Veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 50 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision is based on evidence that supports a direct link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection was granted, with the effective date set at November 1, 1996. The decision also upheld the original rating of 100% disability.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's facial skin disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's back disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression) are not service-connected. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for an umbilical hernia was denied, and her claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder remains pending.