Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple service connection claims and a challenge to the validity of an overpayment of VA benefits. The Board is remanding the case for further development, including adjudicating whether the underlying debt was validly created.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C or an acquired psychiatric disorder during service and determined that the current conditions are not related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric and stomach disabilities were not related to his military service, leading to a denial of both claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been remanded due to the need for verification of in-service stressors and a VA examination. The appeal is not about service connection for any other condition.

The Veteran's benefits were properly terminated for the period from August 1, 1991 to October 31, 2000. From November 1, 2000 to December 27, 2001, the Veteran was entitled to VA disability compensation benefits.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and verification of a specific in-service stressor.

The Board denied reopening of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for a right hip disorder. The claim for service connection for a right hip disorder was remanded to obtain a VA nexus opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a congenital psychiatric disorder and his acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder has been found to be primarily due to his non-service-connected alcohol dependence, substance-induced mood disorder, and personality disorder rather than the service-connected tinnitus and hearing loss. The current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service stressors were deemed not credible.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to specifically include PTSD, was denied as the evidence of record fails to corroborate her reported stressor.,Service connection is also denied for hypertension, stroke residuals, hysterectomy residuals, and diabetes mellitus as there is no evidence that these conditions began during or were otherwise caused by her military service.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder due to service, and concluded that his personality disorder was not related to military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. However, further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his military service and stressors.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, finding that no claim was received before March 16, 2000, and that any VA records from January to March 1999 did not constitute an informal claim. The earliest effective date is therefore April 28, 1999.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims at this time.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied as he did not have the requisite wartime service. The Board found that his period of active duty ended after the termination of the Vietnam era and before the commencement of the Persian Gulf War, thus failing to meet the legal requirements for basic eligibility.

The Board denied reopening of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, was denied. However, the Board found that he has a current diagnosis of depressive disorder and anxiety disorder with PTSD features, which is etiologically related to his in-service stressors.,Service connection was granted for MGUS as it is considered a progression of the Veteran's asymptomatic condition. The Board determined that there is no evidence linking the MGUS to exposure to asbestos or other chemicals during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo and psychiatric disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor proximately due to a service-connected disability. Therefore, these claims are denied.