Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board found that the Appellant did not suffer from a traumatic head injury during his INACDUTRA period, and therefore he is not considered a 'Veteran' for purposes of this claim. As such, service connection cannot be established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not service-connected due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease. The claims for acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral hearing loss are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and readjudication.

The Board is remanding the case for scheduling a personal hearing before the RO, as the Veteran requested one but has not been provided with an opportunity to do so.

The Veteran seeks service connection for Scheuermann's disease and a psychiatric disorder. The Board has remanded the case to afford the Veteran a hearing, with reasonable attempts to accommodate his incarcerated status.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, and for nonservice-connected pension benefits prior to March 1, 2011. The record did not establish a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and mental health treatment records. The VA will also request an addendum opinion on the issue of bilateral hearing loss.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Dr. Robert Myers and attempting to locate any other relevant records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss during the June 2010 Board hearing. The claims of service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The Veteran's current diagnoses of psychosis NOS and schizophrenia have been established as having manifested within one year of his separation from service and to a compensable degree.

The Veteran's service connection for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is granted, and he is awarded a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during service, has a current diagnosis of PTSD, and there is a medical nexus between the claimed stressors and the current PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's paranoid schizophrenia is etiologically related to a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in Germany, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further examination and development of records, as well as additional psychiatric testing. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on his knee disabilities and service connection for a psychiatric disorder are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is secondary to his service-connected spine disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The right shoulder disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, variously diagnosed as adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression and depressive disorder, is granted. Service connection for genitofemoral neuralgia and small corneal scar are denied. The Veteran's mid back strain remains at a maximum of 20 percent prior to December 15, 2010 and 30 percent from that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination report and need for a new psychiatric evaluation. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the updated evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for spinal meningitis, hypertension, arthritis (gout), an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a neck disability. The appeals were based on secondary service connection to spinal meningitis.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for low back, left hip, and psychiatric disabilities. However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to incidents reported by the Veteran during service, including drug use and threats of violence. The appeal will be returned to the Board after further development.