Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2024

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder effective from August 7, 1995. The decision was based on new service personnel records submitted in June 2017.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability (including depression, somatic symptom disorder, and anxiety), and bilateral hearing loss as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus have been granted. The claim for hypertension and migraine headaches is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, urinary incontinence, a bladder condition (neurogenic bladder), kidney disease, seborrheic dermatitis, hyperlipidemia, encephalopathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD to the AOJ for further adjudication on their merits.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The VA is required to obtain STRs and private treatment records, as well as provide a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including psychiatric disability, reactive airway disease, and various musculoskeletal conditions, combine to a 70 percent rating. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck disability, acquired psychiatric disability (to include insomnia), bilateral foot disability, and back disability are not service-connected. The stomach disability is remanded due to potential exposure at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection for a stomach disability is remanded as there is evidence of participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during service.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability has generally manifested as occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, but he generally functions satisfactorily. The VA assigned an initial rating of 30 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, hypertension, and a neck disability. The remaining issues of service connection for right ankle, left ankle, left knee, right knee, rib, left leg varicose veins, and right leg varicose veins are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims due to the need for additional evidence, including missing STRs and VA examinations.

The Board has granted a temporary total evaluation for hospitalization over 21 days, effective August 25, 2022 to October 31, 2022. The Veteran's appeal began with the September 9, 2022 supplemental claim and not the September 16, 2022 fully developed claim for an increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and low back pain were denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The claim for nerve damage of the right lower extremity was reopened.,Right ear hearing loss is not service-connected.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection due to a lack of current disabilities and insufficient evidence linking the claimed conditions to service.

The Board has identified a duty-to-assist error and is remanding the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to lack of an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric condition.,Service connection is granted for low back impairment, claimed as arthritis. The evidence persuasively weighs in favor of finding that the Veteran's low back impairment had its onset during service.,Service connection is granted for GERD, to include as secondary to low back condition. The evidence persuasively weighs in favor of finding that the Veteran's GERD is proximately due to service-connected disabilities, including his low back impairment.,The claim for individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was characterized by various symptoms, but did not result in total social and occupational impairment. The Board denied an increased rating for the period from June 29, 2010, to April 3, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information about the claimed stressors. The Veteran is asked to provide details including unit information and duty assignment, as well as specific dates for the events that occurred during his service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a right hip disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to provide these necessary opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis is denied as there is no current diagnosis of or treatment for the condition.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is denied due to lack of evidence of a penile deformity.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is denied because there is no evidence of greater than 50 percent obstruction or polyps in the nasal passages.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at 50% but not higher, with symptoms meeting criteria for occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain a medical nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The claim will be adjudicated again with this information.

The Board has granted a claim for an earlier effective date of September 9, 2020, but not earlier, for a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's psychiatric disability. The decision is based on factual ascertainability within one year prior to the claim for increase.