Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the character of discharge from service is a bar to VA compensation benefits, but will consider if the Appellant was insane at the time of misconduct and if his psychiatric symptoms contributed to the misconduct. The case is remanded for further examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability due to new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for kidney, bilateral knee, and psychiatric disabilities are remanded as VA examinations are needed to determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bruxism but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include as secondary to service-connected headaches.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, stroke disability, and service connection for bilateral lower extremity disability, migraine headaches disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder have been dismissed due to withdrawal. The remaining issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, service connection for bilateral lower extremity disability (numbness and swelling in the ankles and feet), service connection for migraine headaches disability, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board has dismissed all appeals related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and other benefits due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder has been granted. Service connection for right foot pes planus and left foot pes planus is also granted. The rating for the acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as depressive disorder, remains at 30 percent prior to May 29, 2019, but increased to 70 percent since that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back condition and acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete development in prior VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, dementia, a psychiatric disorder other than dementia including PTSD and depression, and a back disorder due to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection as his conditions are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for right hip and right knee disabilities due to their withdrawal. The claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD linked to in-service stressors.,The Board also found no causal connection between any diagnosed acquired mental disorders and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and TDIU due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to service, as well as the absence of any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development and requests for additional records. The Veteran's daughter is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was aggravated by his service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination. The issues include low back disability, neck disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and headaches.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is found to have begun during his active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, a mental disorder, and various musculoskeletal conditions. However, these claims have been denied as there is no evidence to support the presence or causation of any of these conditions during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD and for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. However, his acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder) is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, acquired psychiatric condition, coronary artery disease (CAD), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are being remanded for additional medical opinions to determine if they are related to his service-connected varicose veins of the bilateral lower extremity.,Specifically, the VA will seek expert medical opinions on whether these conditions are secondary to or caused by the Veteran's service-connected varicose veins.