Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2024

The Board has denied service connection for stroke and remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance, and special monthly compensation based on housebound status due to a lack of evidence corroborating the Veteran's reported in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations of his acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee tendinitis with degenerative arthritis, and other conditions has been withdrawn. The VA is remanding the claims for service connection for various conditions due to toxic exposure risk activity (TERA).,The VA is remanding the claims for service connection for a back condition, headaches, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, bilateral leg condition, functional dysphagia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 2, 2010 for the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to service-connected disabilities, including considering whether obesity caused by service-connected disabilities may have contributed to OSA development.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding service personnel records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the nature and etiology of the appellant's headaches, including as secondary to service-connected tinnitus, and her acquired psychiatric disorder, previously claimed as PTSD. The VA will provide an adequate examination and opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is rated at a 70 percent disability rating from April 16, 2019.,TDIU for the service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder alone was granted starting September 1, 2019. The Veteran now has a combined disability rating of 100% due to his service-connected condition and other disabilities.,SMC at the housebound rate is granted starting September 1, 2019.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD, is at least as likely as not related to his service in which he found dead bodies. Therefore, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed.,The claims for service connection for migraines and a gynecological disorder, to include vaginitis, are readjudicated based on new evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current diagnosis is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.,Entitlement to a compensable rating for the left eye condition is denied.,Service connection for depression and/or a mental condition (schizophrenia) is granted with a 100% rating effective October 23, 2018. The claim for service connection for depression and/or a mental condition is dismissed as there remains no case or controversy as to this issue.,Service connection for the right knee condition is denied.,Service connection for hypothyroidism is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type 2 (DM II) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims of service connection for a headache disability, low back disability, and heart disability remain denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, a low back disability, and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,There is no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete STRs and a duty to assist error. The issues include obesity, increased appetite, heat intolerance, arthritis, abdominal condition, nervous condition (including tremors and nervousness), hypertension, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, anxiety and insomnia), diabetes mellitus, heart condition (including tachycardia), and gynecological condition (including menstrual irregularities).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his psychiatric disability, finding that his symptoms more closely approximated a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's cause of death, multiple prescription drug overdose, is being remanded for further development due to the need for a retrospective opinion on whether it was proximately due or caused by his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection due to exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp LeJeune.

The Veteran is denied an effective date prior to January 27, 2020 for the award of service connection for PTSD and related psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD with schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent from December 16, 1975. The Board found that the symptoms did not rise to a level warranting a higher rating.