Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2021

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep apnea, finding that there is no clear evidence of their onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (claimed as PTSD) is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was denied. The Board also found that service connection could not be established for PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA examination for service connection of a psychiatric disability and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim is not granted as there is no evidence linking his current psychiatric condition or tinnitus to his service-connected scar.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disability, including a lack of medical opinion on its etiology and treatment records. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private psychiatrist's records from November 2012.

The Board denied service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and depressive disorder. The case is being returned to the RO for further development, specifically to verify the Veteran's service dates in Panama and to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his psychiatric condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations regarding his claims of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder, right knee disorder, and right ankle disorder. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is also remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The appeal contesting the propriety of the severance of service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted, and restoration of service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted. The appeals regarding diabetes, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, erectile dysfunction (ED), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are all remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability and traumatic brain injury are granted service connection, with the Board finding that his conditions had their onset during service.

The Board's decision denying service connection for various conditions and TDIU is vacated due to lack of due process. The issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and a 100% rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder was granted with effective dates of February 26, 1969.,Both the service connection and the increased rating claims were granted based on evidence showing that the Veteran had been in and out of hospitals since 1954 due to his mental disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and tinnitus. The claim for thyroid disorder was not addressed in this decision.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral hearing loss may be related to service, but needs further clarification due to incomplete medical records. The case is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for migraine headaches, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate follow-up of instructions from previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of hypothermia is denied as there are no credible in-service incidents or current symptoms related to service.,The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and depression), TBI residuals, migraine headaches, left shin disorder, and right shin disorder are remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to conflicting medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder under the DSM-5 criteria, including PTSD. The Board requires additional VA and private treatment records and an examination with a VA psychiatrist or psychologist.

The Board has remanded the cases due to errors in addressing the Veteran's complaints of irritated, dry, and red eyes for his eye disorder and the need to provide notice concerning the types of evidence that might corroborate his reported in-service personal assault stressor as required under 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(5) for his acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Board has revised the June 1986 decision to reflect that the termination of the Veteran's permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes was not proper due to a clear and unmistakable error in failing to consider the applicable VA regulations regarding stabilization of disability evaluations.