Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has remanded all issues on appeal due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service personnel and medical records, scheduling examinations, and seeking private treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a low back disorder. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and PTSD, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his claimed conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for left hip disability, dismissed the appeal of residuals of broken ribs, and denied reopening claims for vision disability, TBI, and psychiatric disability. The Veteran's request for a specially adapted housing grant was also denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including major depression, anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service, with two private physicians finding a link between the disabilities and service while one VA examiner did not. Service treatment records show mental health issues during service, and both private physicians found current diagnoses were secondary to service.

The claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy was dismissed. The issues of service connection for hypertension, insomnia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) are inextricably intertwined and will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, schizophrenia and dysthymia (originally claimed as depression), due to new evidence showing a possible link between his military service and these conditions. The case is remanded for further development, including verification of periods of active duty and ACDUTRA, and for a VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's schizophrenia should be rated higher than 50 percent and that he is entitled to a TDIU, but needs additional VA treatment records to make these determinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral shoulder disability, respiratory condition (bronchitis and asthma), bilateral ankle disability, back disability, and neck disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The AOJ is instructed to verify dates of active duty training and inactive duty training, obtain any outstanding VA or private treatment records, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability due to new evidence submitted. However, the claim is still pending as it needs further development and a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depression and PTSD. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for skin rashes and sciatica are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is granted, and the rating for cervical spine disability is increased to 30 percent. The claims for gastrointestinal disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for bilateral chronic conjunctivitis and epilepsy have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of sinus disorder, skin disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, neck disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, left hand arthritis, and bilateral shoulder disability. The evidence did not meet the criteria for establishing service connection.

The Board has determined that further evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's respiratory and psychiatric disabilities are related to his military service. The case will be returned for additional development.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right knee disability and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression). The claims for service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and a right leg skin condition are all remanded.

The Veteran's claim for increases in the staged ratings of his low back disorder and TDIU prior to June 7, 2016 is denied. The service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) secondary to his low back disorder remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence being added to the record since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for hip spurs, spinal bone spurs, and heart condition. The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) was denied.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of a valid diagnosis, as all diagnoses were not made in accordance with DSM-IV.