Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and new treatment records. The issues include bilateral foot disability, gastrointestinal disability, migraine headaches, and acquired psychiatric disability (major depressive disorder).

The Board denied service connection for cognitive disorder/memory loss and an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), finding that the Veteran's current conditions are unrelated to his in-service head injury.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been granted for tinnitus, and the issues of service connection for arthritis, asthma, high cholesterol, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diverticulitis, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have also been granted. The claims for hearing loss and bilateral hands/low back arthritis are still pending.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral ankle disorders, bilateral knee disorders, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and depression have been reopened. The case is being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, somatic symptom disorder, adjustment disorder) due to the need for additional development. This includes obtaining missing treatment records from Langley AFB, verifying stressor events, and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for depressive disorder. The claims for right knee, left knee, and left ankle conditions are remanded due to lack of VA treatment records. The psychiatric disability claim is also remanded for additional medical opinion regarding the onset and relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, a skin disorder, and a headache disorder are granted. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for lower back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), high blood pressure, heart disability, and poor blood circulation. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active service.,There is no medical opinion linking any of the conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. Service connection is established for PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board has determined that additional efforts should be made to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and whether they are related to his in-service stressor.

The appeal for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded. The appeals for rating in excess of 10 percent for a left finger deformity and a painful scar of the left fifth finger are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip synovitis, meralgia paresthetica of the lower extremities, degenerative arthritis with spondylosis of the lumbar spine, and chronic headaches have been granted. The claim for service connection for hearing loss has been denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, alcohol use disorder, and major depression have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus granting his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for anemia, a skin disability, a foot disability, hypertension, and PTSD as they were not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including an earlier effective date for diabetes and increased ratings for prostate cancer. The psychiatric disorder claim is also being remanded.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of mood disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support these conditions being related to his military service.