Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence. Further development is needed, including obtaining additional medical records and verifying a claimed in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for obtaining all relevant VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address her claimed disability due to hormonal abnormalities, secondary to the residuals of status post hysterectomy. The examiner will provide opinions on whether any acquired psychiatric disability (panic disorder) was proximately due or aggravated by her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, depressive disorder, alcohol abuse disorder, and cannabis use disorder. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service sexual assault.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining issues related to right wrist, left wrist, psychiatric disability including PTSD, SI joint and L5 osteoarthritis, and left ankle osteoarthritis.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, back disorder, hypertension (secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder), erectile dysfunction, chronic headache disorder, left and right lower extremity disorders, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete compliance with previous remands.

The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include panic disorder and a back disorder with arthritis have been reopened. The Board is remanding the remaining issues for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's left shoulder disability had its onset in service or was otherwise caused by his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate VCAA notice and need for further development, including consideration of Persian Gulf Service considerations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service treatment records and VA/SSA medical records. The claims include entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including a low back disability, right leg disability, bilateral foot disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD), respiratory disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand three issues: service connection for diabetes mellitus, a psychiatric disorder, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to the submission of additional VA treatment records and the need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was first manifested during service or is related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. The examiner needs to provide opinions on these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by dizziness, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus remains pending and requires further development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability were originally denied. The claims are now reopened due to new evidence provided by the Veteran, including testimony at his Board hearing regarding current treatment. The claims for service connection are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disability due to incomplete information and need for additional medical opinions. The case will be returned to the Board after further review.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of a head disability, an insect bite, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for reopening of the right ear hearing loss is granted. Service connection for a back disability and a right knee disability are denied. The case is remanded for further examination regarding bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD).

The application to reopen the claims for back disability, bilateral foot disability, and bilateral knee disability have been denied.,The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prolactinoma and acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD) do not meet the criteria for service connection. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for PTSD and depression is granted, with the stressor of military sexual trauma (MST) being accepted based on corroborating evidence from other sources. The Veteran's traumatic arthritis of the spine is granted at a 20 percent rating effective May 14, 2014.

The Veteran's PTSD and undifferentiated schizophrenia resulted in severe impairment of social and industrial adaptability, warranting a 70% disability rating from March 10, 1971 to February 19, 1997.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral pes planus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disorder to include PTSD due to potential issues with the evidence provided.