Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including a psychiatric disorder, have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for psoriasis or service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there was no credible stressor and the Veteran's statements regarding his claimed in-service assault were inconsistent. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability is not proximately caused or aggravated by VA care, and the Board finds his claims of sexual assault are not credible. Therefore, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a psychiatric disability is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for prostate condition, right ankle disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) have been withdrawn. The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is due to his own willful misconduct.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of reopening his service connection for a back disability and found that new evidence did not relate to the reason it was previously denied. The psychiatric disability claim is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam or any other overseas location where he could have been exposed to herbicides. Therefore, his claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability, a right knee disability, a left knee disability, a lumbar spine disability, a right hip disability, a left hip disability, a disability manifested by right leg pain and swelling, a disability manifested by left leg pain and swelling, and chronic kidney disease cannot be granted on the basis of presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Board also found no direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II or PTSD, if found to be service-connected, are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of service aboard USS Dubuque and identification of verified stressors. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are to be evaluated in light of their relationship to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, dental trauma, asthma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing updated VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, mood disorder, and schizophrenia, is denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of any current psychiatric disorder being related to service. As there are no service-connected disabilities, the Veteran's TDIU claim is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, finding that a reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and panic disorder with agoraphobia, more nearly approximated a 70 percent rating prior to June 9, 2015, and is at least as likely as not preventing him from obtaining or maintaining substantial gainful employment. As such, TDIU is granted for the appeal period prior to June 9, 2015.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for various disabilities due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD under DSM-IV and therefore cannot establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's diagnoses of delusional disorder and alcohol use disorder are also not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including memory loss, did not manifest within one year of service and is not etiologically related to his military service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and private medical records. The AOJ will also obtain an addendum opinion from the July 2017 VA examiner regarding the existence, nature, and etiology of the Veteran's PTSD.