Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for a psychiatric disorder, an increased rating for right knee instability and DJD of the right knee. The Veteran will need to undergo additional VA examinations to address his reported flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or occurrence of the claimed in-service stressor.,The Veteran's cervical spine DJD did not meet the criteria for an increased rating to more than 20 percent, as his forward flexion was within normal limits and he did not experience incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder, is found to be related to his active military service.

The Board has revised the May 1, 1967 decision to grant service connection for schizoaffective disorder and cognitive disorder, NOS from August 22, 1966.

The Veteran's appeals for evaluations in excess of 50 percent prior to February 8, 2017, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter, for unspecified mental disorder; entitlement to a TDIU; service connection for left and right knee disabilities; and service connection for sleep apnea have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawals. The Board has also remanded claims for evaluations for bilateral knee disabilities and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury and Schizophrenia. The Veteran's claims were based on direct service connection, not a presumption or new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to address his service connection claims, including obtaining corroborated in-service stressors and medical records from private physicians. The Veteran is also required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety), a gastrointestinal disability (including gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)), and insomnia due to outstanding records from service treatment and personnel records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, undifferentiated type. The case is remanded to obtain additional development regarding PTSD and any other psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disease, including ulcerative colitis, and his acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia is reopened, and the Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection due to continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizophrenia (claimed as a residual of an in-service head injury) is granted. The Board finds the private psychologist report submitted by the Veteran indicates his diagnosed schizophrenia disability may be associated with his active service but that the record does not contain sufficient medical evidence to decide on the claim, thus necessitating a remand to the AOJ to obtain a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors. The conditions of interest include dental issues, hallux valgus of the feet, pseudofolliculitis barbae, right ankle condition, varicocele condition, low back condition, left knee condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headache condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, headache disability, hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), and hypertension. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for spinal stenosis status-post lumbar laminectomy and PTSD due to incomplete records from SSA, VA medical records, and a need to obtain all relevant records. The Veteran's attorney pointed out that there are incomplete SSA records and recent VA medical records.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition, including PTSD. The claim for service connection will be remanded.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for an increased rating for a low back disability is dismissed.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy are granted.,The issue of service connection for type two diabetes mellitus and the acquired psychiatric condition (previously claimed as bipolar disorder, depression, and cyclothymic disorder) is remanded for additional development.,The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including intestinal condition (diverticulitis), skin disability (residuals of dermatitis venenata), right shoulder disability, sleep apnea, psychiatric disability (major depression), heart disability, and prostate disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these disabilities began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis B and C, an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for postoperative residuals of December 1999 VA lumbar spine surgery due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was found to have preexisted service and not been aggravated by service. For the acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board concluded that there is no evidence of a stressor in service sufficient to cause PTSD.