Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and schizoaffective disorder, had their onset in service or are related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition and sleep apnea are not service-connected.,His gastrointestinal condition is also not service-connected. However, his GERD has been granted service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Additional evidence is needed for a proper evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete development of his Gulf War exposure history. The claims are being returned for further action.

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's foot disability, hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disorder are all remanded for further examination and opinion. The issues of service connection for these conditions will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this issue due to a claim for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability was denied as no new and material evidence had been submitted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is granted, with the condition being related to military service.,Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for a right shoulder disability is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for a skin disability is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for liver disease is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches is granted. The claims for service connection for sarcoidosis and psychiatric disorders (including schizophrenia and PTSD) are reopened, but the service connection for low back disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted effective June 27, 2012. The decision is based on new and material evidence submitted in December 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no current diagnosis of a mental disability or evidence linking it to service. The Board also found no evidence of noise exposure during service causing his current hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for sleep apnea as secondary to a service-connected condition.,Specifically, the Board found that there was no credible in-service stressor supporting the Veteran’s claim of PTSD. The Veteran did not engage in combat with an enemy, and his reported stressors were not corroborated by available records.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability is rated at 70 percent, but no more. The evidence shows occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, impaired impulse control, near-continuous panic or depression, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and inability to establish effective relationships.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a back disorder, an eye disorder, obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep problems, acid reflux, skin disorders, headache disorder, peripheral neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision is based on a lack of clear evidence linking any current psychiatric condition to active service and conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, headache disorder, left leg disorder, back disorder (arthritis), and acquired psychiatric disorder was denied. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection for headache disorder was denied as the condition is not a diagnosable chronic multi-symptom disorder that was not manifest in service or attributable to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and a heart condition have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or etiological relationship to service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for schizophrenia and headaches have been remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as schizophrenia) have been denied due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claimed in-service stressors, and no relationship between current diagnoses and service. The claim for alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder has also been denied due to a finding that these conditions are secondary to willful misconduct.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected as it did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,Diabetes mellitus was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's left knee disability, secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, was not addressed by the January 2013 VA examination. The issue remains remanded for further evaluation.,Bronchitis was diagnosed in January 2018 and is currently under review due to lack of a medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (depression) has not been addressed by the Board as there has been no attempt to verify the in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits is granted because she served a minimum of 30 continuous days and was discharged under other than dishonorable conditions due to a service-connected disability (an acquired psychiatric disorder).