Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and personnel records from the Veteran's Army Reserve service.

The Board found no CUE in the January 1981 decision that denied service connection for a psychosis. The Veteran's schizophrenia is considered to have onset after service.

The Board found that the Veteran's schizophrenia clearly and unmistakably preexisted his service, and was not aggravated by it. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was denied due to lack of evidence relating the current condition to his active service.,The Veteran's claims for residuals of herbicide exposure and heart murmur were also denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia, was not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete stressor verification and inadequate examination for PTSD. The Veteran's claim will be returned for further development.

The Board found that there was no competent and credible evidence linking the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to service, including his claimed stressors. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of instability or subluxation. The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder claim was previously denied and not reopened.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's additional disabilities are not due to VA care, treatment or examination.,VA medical providers did not cause any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is being remanded due to conflicting opinions on the diagnosis and relationship to service, as well as the need for additional VA examination.

The Board has determined that service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, including anxiety and depression, is granted based on reopening of the claim due to new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and conducting examinations to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased level of special monthly compensation based on the need for a higher level of aid and assistance has been denied as he does not meet the threshold requirements for attaining any of the required levels of SMC to warrant consideration of an increased rate based on a higher level of aid and assistance.

The Veteran's daughter, D.N., is not considered permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday due to mental disorders. The evidence does not support the claim that she was helpless before turning 18.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings or service connection.

The Board has granted the appellant's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder. The issue remains pending as it is unclear whether the new evidence establishes a nexus between the current psychiatric condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating. The Veteran will need to undergo examinations related to his bilateral CTS, psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for hemorrhoids and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim for paranoid schizophrenia are pending.