Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2017

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is found to be related to service, while his respiratory disability is not. The claim for a respiratory disability remains denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining treatment records and providing a VA examination for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and further evidentiary review.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and depressive disorder has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, his current acquired psychiatric disorder is not considered service-connected as it does not meet the criteria for a valid diagnosis of PTSD or any other service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected paranoid schizophrenia is found to have caused or aggravated his smoking addiction, which in turn reduced his chance of survival from cholangiocarcinoma. The Board finds the opinions provided by VHA medical experts to be probative and persuasive.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Schizoaffective Disorder due to a lack of verified in-service stressors, and because there is no evidence of any psychiatric complaints or treatment during service. The diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder was not related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric and back disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's headache disorder had its onset during service and granted service connection. For his acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board determined there was no evidence of a psychosis within one year post-service, thus denying service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of a non-PTSD psychiatric disorder or depression and anxiety having its onset during military service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a new VA examination to determine if his current acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to his period of active service. The Veteran contends that he developed PTSD due to his experiences in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and psychosis, was denied. The Board found that there is no verified in-service stressor of personal assault or witnessing the death of a fellow servicemember. There is also no evidence of a snake bite or other combat-related incident. The Veteran does not have PTSD, but has an unspecified depressive disorder which is due to chronic pain and related to service-connected thoracolumbar strain.,The claim for service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder was granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current depressive disorder is likely due to a combination of pain from nonservice-connected disability (nonservice-connected pain) and service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating or service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, peptic ulcer disease, radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his service connection claim and TDIU issue, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran was granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, specifically social phobia with depressive disorder, and hypertension/hypertensive vascular disease.,The Board found that the evidence clearly and unmistakably showed that these conditions had their onset during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a grant of either claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's schizophrenia was aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder, and thus, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all three issues, resulting in the dismissal of these cases.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's current PTSD is related to terrorist activity during active service, and the Board finds that all elements of service connection are met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and provide a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder and traumatic brain injury.