Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and migraine headaches have been granted service connection. The Veteran is also awarded a 50% rating for her migraine headaches.

The Board found that the Veteran is not competent to handle his VA funds due to mental incapacity, and thus denied the appeal.

The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is granted at a 70 percent level, effective prior to April 19, 2015. A 100 percent rating is granted from April 19, 2015, to January 9, 2020. A 50 percent rating is granted for the period from January 9, 2020.

The Veteran's sarcoidosis is caused by service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,Service connection cannot be established for kidney disease as there is no evidence of its onset during or within one year following service. The Board finds the evidence does not support a finding that it was related to service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia with memory loss, anxiety, and depression, was granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology since service. The VA examiner linked the onset to his in-service experiences.,The Veteran's claim for TBI/Residuals of TBI was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or residuals associated with such.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current ulcer and therefore, service connection for an ulcer is denied. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining the Veteran's Social Security Administration (SSA) records and for an addendum opinion regarding his acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has denied a compensable evaluation for AML with allogenic SCT from August 1, 2018. The appeal is remanded for further consideration of service connection claims related to hiatal hernia, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and an acquired mental disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder but has remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than bipolar disorder to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently assigned a noncompensable rating, and the claim for a compensable evaluation is denied.,There is no evidence of a current left hip disability during or approximate to the period on appeal. The claim for service connection for a left hip condition is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder with alcohol dependency is remanded as there was no specific assertion of PTSD and VA examination is needed to clarify the nature and etiology of the claimed psychiatric disorder, including whether it is secondary to or caused by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded due to his assertion that it is secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder. Service connection for diabetes mellitus (to include as secondary to hypertension) is also remanded based on the Veteran's assertion of its secondary relationship to hypertension.,Right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy are remanded as they are claimed to be secondary to diabetes mellitus, which is itself a claim that requires further development.,The Veteran's right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy claims are remanded based on the same reasoning as his diabetes mellitus claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and a compensable rating of 10% from June 15, 2020. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder) is denied. The Veteran receives a compensable rating of 10% for her headache condition since June 15, 2020. A compensable rating for sinusitis and right ring finger avulsion injury is not granted. The umbilical hernia condition is resolved.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating greater than 50 percent for service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to VA's pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in not obtaining private treatment records from Dr. H. R. and Dr. M.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral ankle and leg blister disorder, and scrotal blister disorder with tinea pedis have been granted increased disability ratings. The psychiatric disorder is rated at 70 percent since May 11, 2020; the ankle and leg blister disorder is rated at 10 percent prior to April 8, 2021, and 10 percent thereafter; and the scrotal blister disorder with tinea pedis are both rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD, anxiety, and depression), allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, neck disability, colostomy, diverticulosis, bilateral foot condition, heart disability, hemorrhoids, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, back disability, colon polyps, prostate disability, and vertigo were denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or a causal relationship to service.

The Board has decided that service connection for a head injury is denied. Service connection for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and needs to obtain additional private treatment records and provide a new etiology opinion regarding the onset of the Veteran's psychiatric disability.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and rating of various disabilities, including back disability, psychiatric conditions, Graves' Disease with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and bilateral exophthalmos. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to service or if they have been aggravated by a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, which includes dysthymia, anxiety, schizophrenia, and alcohol use disorder, resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Board denied a higher rating as the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 70% or 100% disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are granted service connection. The Veteran's vertigo is remanded for further review due to insufficient evidence. Service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and somatic symptom disorder) is also remanded.