Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations and consideration of his service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, major depression, PTSD, hypertension with CAD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, right leg disorder, left hip disorder, hearing loss, and respiratory disorder. The low back strain claim was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, and denied the claim for increased rating of chronic low back strain. The Veteran's claims were reopened on new evidence but service connection was not established.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that were caused or aggravated by her service, or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining mental health records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder. The examiner will assess whether the Veteran's claimed stressors are adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD and whether his symptoms are related to those stressors.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound.,Service connection has been granted for a bowel disorder (chronic constipation), but it does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and tinnitus. The increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, hypertension, and autonomic neuropathy of the gastrointestinal tract with complications of small bowel obstruction are also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient medical nexus opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches and acquired psychiatric disability. The case is returned for further development.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder as a result of his service. The case is REMANDED for this purpose.

The Board found that the appellant's other than honorable discharge from service is a bar to the award of VA benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with residual schizophrenia is granted. The issue regarding CUE in the November 14, 1979 rating decision that denied nonservice-connected pension benefits remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, residuals of venereal disease (claimed as impotency), and earlier effective date for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and verifying the Veteran's reported stressors. The Veteran is also scheduled for VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed left knee disability and psychiatric disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and denied his claim for service connection for PTSD. The case regarding an increased rating for the scar was also addressed, but as it is related to another issue on appeal, it is referred back to the RO.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing schizophrenia was aggravated by his period of service, warranting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including dementia due to head trauma, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The January 1973 rating decision denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected schizophrenia and did not address his TDIU claim. The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in this decision.