Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of compliance with previous remand directives regarding a VA examination for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and Schizophrenia, is related to service exposure in Kuwait. The Board found that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found the appellant insane at the time of misconduct leading to discharge, lifting any bar to VA compensation benefits. The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his left elbow condition, cubital tunnel syndrome, shoulder condition, back condition, knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, eye condition, neuropathy of the hands, and neuropathy of the feet.,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding his bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome).,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding his shoulder condition.,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his back condition.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his knee, eye, hand, and foot conditions.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (cyclothymic disorder and PTSD) appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his eye condition.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his hand and foot conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, has been reopened. The case is remanded to obtain VA examinations regarding the onset of her psychiatric symptoms during service and whether GERD began in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion evidence and a need for an updated VA examination.

The appeal for service connection for a right hand disability is dismissed. The appeals for low back disability, chest pains, GERD, OSA, and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder and scheduling him for a VA examination to determine the severity of his service-connected hypertensive vascular disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete examinations and scheduling issues.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and PTSD, due to military sexual trauma (MST), is granted. The Board finds new and material evidence has been received since the June 2011 rating decision denying entitlement to service connection for PTSD. Service connection will be remanded for further examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's left knee disability is remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity and manifestations of his condition.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (other specified trauma or stress-related disorder and PTSD) claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence from VA clinicians. A new VA examination and medical opinion are needed.,The Veteran's right knee disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it began during service or is related to his service-connected left knee disability.,The Veteran's right hip disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it began during service, is related to his in-service fall, or was noted during service with continuity of symptoms since service.,The Veteran's left hip disability is remanded for an addendum opinion from a clinician to determine if the sartorius muscle injury and spurring at the acetabulum are related to his in-service fall.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it began during service, is related to his service-connected left knee disability or bilateral shin splints, or was noted during service with continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee conditions, and a left ankle condition were granted in full upon remand. The Board finds that additional remands are required due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from after January 2020.

The Veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew their rating reduction appeal for an acquired psychiatric disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's claim for a rating of 10 percent for his left inguinal hernia repair scar is granted. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, left hip condition, and right hip condition are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that the Veteran's current conditions had their onset during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress and psychotic features was granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, chronic stage 4 kidney disease, heart disease, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, and diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities were all denied.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for a back condition is denied due to lack of evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disability is denied because there is no current diagnosis of such a disability within the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, has been granted due to the submission of new evidence that is relevant to his claims. The Board found that he had current diagnoses and in-service stressors leading to his current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. Her effective date for asthma service connection remains January 6, 2020.