Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his major depressive disorder and sleep apnea, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since June 28, 2011. The Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues, including service connection for a psychiatric condition other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, and hypertension. The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided are inadequate to address these claims.,Specifically, the examination reports do not provide sufficient rationale regarding whether the Veteran’s current conditions are related to his military service or if they were aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of heat stress and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the merits of the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder can be addressed. The case is therefore REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions in the record regarding the relationship between his current disabilities and military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, adjustment disorder with anxiety, are being remanded due to incorrect categorization of the issues as secondary to service-connected status-post inguinal hernia repairs instead of nerve entrapment. Additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no current disability to support the claim and concluding that his symptoms do not meet DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosable psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic heart disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to procedural errors, including failing to address arguments regarding a Privacy Request raised by the Veteran’s representative. The claims are now pending for further review.

The appeal on the service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, and TDIU due to incomplete records and legal framework issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but the Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. The decision found that symptoms of these conditions had onset in service.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability and acquired psychiatric disability do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has experience in sedentary work such as teaching computer skills and medical assistant training.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability, headache disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for cervical spine disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as scheduling a DRO hearing for lumbar spine disorder.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, as well as hepatitis C. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of a current disability without any in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder, headaches, and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since January 1, 2015. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral leg rash and any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders. The VA is required to provide an examination or obtain a medical opinion in these claims as they involve current disabilities potentially related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received by the Veteran, which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's initial ratings for migraine headaches and acquired psychiatric disability (depression) are denied, while a separate rating of 10 percent is granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy. The effective dates for service connection are also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The issues have been remanded due to insufficient evidence in previous decisions.