Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2014

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be as likely as not attributable to his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is not service-connected as it was pre-existing and did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (dementia and depression) is not related to service. The criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound status are also not met.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions on his back disabilities and insufficient evidence regarding his psychiatric disability. Additional development is required, including obtaining medical records, employment records, and ship logs.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's paranoid schizophrenia was incurred in service and granted service connection for psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his service-connected psychiatric disorder has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's pes planus and splayfeet are granted service connection, as they are related to his active service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also granted, with the diagnosis of PTSD being noted in the decision.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, increased evaluations, and service connection were denied. The heart disability was granted an effective date of April 27, 2009, but the hearing loss and psychiatric disorder did not warrant compensable ratings. Service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including blindness, aphonia, residuals of cerebrovascular accident, seizure disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder, are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. She also claims secondary service connection for alcohol and polysubstance abuse and self-mutilations to include as secondary to her psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's headaches are associated with a service-connected residual scalp laceration.,The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. She also claims secondary service connection for alcohol and polysubstance abuse and self-mutilations to include as secondary to her psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's headaches are associated with a service-connected residual scalp laceration.,The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. She also claims secondary service connection for alcohol and polysubstance abuse and self-mutilations to include as secondary to her psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's headaches are associated with a service-connected residual scalp laceration.,The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. She also claims secondary service connection for alcohol and polysubstance abuse and self-mutilations to include as secondary to her psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's headaches are associated with a service-connected residual scalp laceration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is supported by evidence, including his in-service stressors and medical history. As a result, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a respiratory disorder have been dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, both including as due to service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed depressive disorder and any other psychiatric disorder had onset during his active service or was caused by his active service. The appeal is now pending again with the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations, and the issues of service connection are now pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have currently diagnosed hip, pes planus, low back strain, neck disorder, or eye disorders. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD and COPD are granted. The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his military service, while his COPD is not considered service-connected due to a lack of evidence linking it to his service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability was granted, with the decision based on evidence that is not related to any specific exposure or presumption.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder had onset during his active service. The appeal is now pending and will be reconsidered after obtaining the necessary examination.