Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied. The Board finds no evidence of a current left knee disorder or right toe disorder, and the Veteran has not provided sufficient medical evidence to establish an in-service event that may be associated with his current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia, secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities is granted. The claims for increased ratings for left and right knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative arthritis are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records related to the Veteran's psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, residuals of nose fracture, bilateral knee disorder, and persistent strep throat disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted the application to reopen the claim for service connection for schizophrenia, but the underlying issue of whether it is related to service remains pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine if he had any periods of Federalized National Guard service and to obtain updated medical records. His claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, psychiatric disability (including PTSD), and chronic fatigue are currently under review.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of all diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including whether any meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. The examiner must also provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms are related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability has been rated at 50 percent since October 30, 2007. The effective date for this rating is October 30, 2007.

The Board has ordered a remand to clarify whether the Veteran sustained an in-service sexual assault and if so, whether he currently suffers from PTSD related to that incident. Additionally, further examination is required to determine the etiology of any current psychiatric disorders and chronic pain syndrome or depression.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or other psychiatric disorders related to his military service. The left hand disability will also be evaluated in detail.

The Board found that chronic schizophrenia, a condition previously diagnosed as schizophrenia, was incurred during active military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, are being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and other psychiatric disorders not linked to PTSD. The denial is based on insufficient credible evidence of a verified stressor in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability clearly and unmistakably pre-existed his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and was aggravated by service. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. The Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during service and his claimed stressor was not verified.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, depression, and schizophrenia was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a current disability that manifested during or as a result of his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing acuity was not found to be worse than Level I, and thus a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss is denied. The claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and variously diagnosed psychiatric disability are remanded due to outstanding records.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being reviewed, as well as his claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for bilateral pes planus.