Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for schizophrenia and remanded it for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any current psychiatric disorder is related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, or trichotillomania that is related to service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the evidence does not support a finding that an in-service stressor occurred.

The Board found no causal connection between the Veteran's in-service lifting injuries and his current lumbar spine disability. For PTSD, there is insufficient evidence to establish a service connection due to lack of credible stressor events.

The Veteran's service connection claims for acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcohol use disorder, and unspecified personality disorder, were denied. The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed PTSD or other chronic disability related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD attributable to the verified in-service stressor.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified schizophrenia and mood disorder, was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed acquired mental disorders, memory problems, and headaches did not have onset in service or are otherwise causally connected to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorders, including drug-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, are not related to his period of service. The evidence shows that he experienced anxiety and anger in service but did not have any diagnosed mental health conditions at that time. His current diagnoses were first noted many years after service.

The Board found that the Veteran's schizophrenia did not manifest during service and is not related to his military service, thus denying service connection for schizophrenia. The claim for fatigue was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and the Board finds that tinnitus and a psychiatric disorder are not related to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, psychiatric disability (including depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and anxiety), and headaches. The Veteran prevails in these reopened claims as his current disabilities are at least in equipoise with service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a chronic heart disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these areas.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from Riverside Hospital and Social Security Administration. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is being reconsidered.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including a mild neurocognitive disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, cervical degenerative arthritis with spondylosis and right arm radiculopathy, and degenerative arthritis of the arms, wrists, and hands did not manifest during service or within one year after separation from service. The evidence also indicated that these conditions were not related to service. Therefore, the Veteran's claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a rating increase and service connection for PTSD. The claim for tinea pedis was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence of in-service injury, disease or event to which either disorder could plausibly be related.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and SSA disability benefits file. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated after this is completed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD with major depression and alcohol abuse has been rated at 70 percent since August 6, 2004. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher rating are not met.,The Veteran became unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment on May 13, 2012, due to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.