Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, due to insufficient evidence to verify his claimed in-service stressors. The case is now pending and will be reviewed again after further development.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the etiology of any psychiatric disorder and addressing his claim for service connection. The total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also under consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of his stressor claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied. The Board finds no evidence of a current left knee disorder or right toe disorder, and the Veteran has not provided sufficient medical evidence to establish an in-service event that may be associated with his current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia, secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities is granted. The claims for increased ratings for left and right knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative arthritis are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records related to the Veteran's psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, residuals of nose fracture, bilateral knee disorder, and persistent strep throat disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted the application to reopen the claim for service connection for schizophrenia, but the underlying issue of whether it is related to service remains pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine if he had any periods of Federalized National Guard service and to obtain updated medical records. His claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, psychiatric disability (including PTSD), and chronic fatigue are currently under review.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of all diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including whether any meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. The examiner must also provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms are related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability has been rated at 50 percent since October 30, 2007. The effective date for this rating is October 30, 2007.

The Board has ordered a remand to clarify whether the Veteran sustained an in-service sexual assault and if so, whether he currently suffers from PTSD related to that incident. Additionally, further examination is required to determine the etiology of any current psychiatric disorders and chronic pain syndrome or depression.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or other psychiatric disorders related to his military service. The left hand disability will also be evaluated in detail.

The Board found that chronic schizophrenia, a condition previously diagnosed as schizophrenia, was incurred during active military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, are being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and other psychiatric disorders not linked to PTSD. The denial is based on insufficient credible evidence of a verified stressor in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability clearly and unmistakably pre-existed his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and was aggravated by service. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. The Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during service and his claimed stressor was not verified.