Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2022

The Veteran's pes planus of the left foot is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.,There is no current diagnosis of PTSD under DSM-5 criteria, and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between her current conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical opinions on etiology and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for a new medical opinion to determine if any additional disability was caused or aggravated by VA treatment in February 2015, and whether such an event was reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder) has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically major depressive disorder, is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. Therefore, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim of service connection for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Anxiety, is granted. The SLE claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and private medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and mild neurocognitive disorder (mixed type), as secondary to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has dismissed the claim of entitlement to service connection for a disorder manifested by an irregular heartbeat due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability has been reopened, but the Board finds that new and material evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease. The current knee condition is also not related to service.,Service connection for a bilateral knee disability cannot be established as there is no credible evidence of an in-service injury or event leading to current symptoms.,The Veteran's claim for high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease are remanded due to the need to determine if he served within 12 nautical miles from Vietnam shores during his service aboard USS Okinawa. The claims for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression) also require additional development.,Service connection for a respiratory disorder is remanded as the Veteran needs to confirm his report of exposure to burning feces in service.,The Veteran's bilateral foot disability claim requires further examination to determine if it is related to service.

The Board dismissed the appeals as to whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for bilateral knee disability and acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal was also dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to verify in-service stressors and for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's PTSD and acquired psychiatric disorder, requiring further examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is granted as secondary to his left shoulder disability. The left shoulder disability is granted a 30 percent rating based on limitation of motion since March 7, 2022.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for bilateral pes planus, diabetes mellitus type II, and an acquired psychiatric disability (for treatment purposes).

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including a VA psychiatric examination. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD) and entitlement to a 10 percent evaluation are being returned to the RO for additional review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand disability, left hand disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate opinions from the February 2016 VA examiner. Additional evidence is needed, including treatment records and an examination by a different examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to headaches, fatigue, and an acquired psychiatric disorder require additional development due to inadequate medical opinions in prior examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and lack of private treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being reviewed again.