Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the need for additional records and examination.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety due to lack of a current diagnosis of PTSD and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's lay assertions and service history support his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease due to exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.,The Veteran's claim for diabetes is denied as there is no current diagnosis of diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety/depression, due to the lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors/events. The Veteran's reported stressors were not corroborated by official military records or service department research.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for right hip arthritis, tinnitus, COPD, and an acquired psychiatric disability due to outstanding medical records that need to be obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, a left ankle disability, and a lumbar spine disability. The cervical spine disability is also granted as secondary to the lumbar spine disability. However, the cervical spine issue remains pending due to its inextricability with the lumbar spine issue.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on four of his claims: erectile dysfunction, pancreas disability, aphonia or slurred speech, and a psychiatric disability. The remaining three claims (bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea) have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The AOJ is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician to determine if OSA is causally or etiologically related to her active service, as well as whether it was caused by or aggravated by her service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and/or medications.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for a right knee disability and bilateral foot disability (claimed as plantar fasciitis and blisters) has been granted. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD due to MST, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, is also granted.,The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for a right knee disability and bilateral foot disability (claimed as plantar fasciitis and blisters) has been granted. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD due to MST, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, is also granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, mood disorder, insomnia, and bipolar disorder. The decision is based on a lack of current diagnoses and no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically major depressive disorder with anxious stress (psychiatric disability), is rated at 50 percent and the Board has remanded both his claim for a higher rating and his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate for adjudication of the Veteran's appeal, as they failed to address evidence favorable to the Veteran and/or were based on inaccurate facts or on the lack of contemporary medical treatment records. The appeal is remanded for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for schizophrenia (also claimed as a nervous disability and PTSD) is denied because the earliest document in the claims file that may be accepted as a claim to reopen was received by VA on February 18, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression), and headaches have been reopened. However, the evidence does not support these claims as his conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including evaluating the earlier effective date issue and the severity of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder prior to February 12, 1996. The TDIU issue is also remanded as it may be impacted by the outcome of the earlier effective date issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) have been denied. The case is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for left eye disorder, scars, acquired psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, and left upper extremity radiculopathy as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the in-service stressor occurred.