Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's current diagnosis of schizophrenia was first diagnosed in 1969, many years after his separation from service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection or a finding that service connection for a psychosis is warranted under the statutory presumption.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia, finding that his condition did not meet the criteria for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder and was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and finds that it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected orthopedic disabilities. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a cervical spine disability are also granted as secondary to service-connected knee and low back disabilities.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was granted, and the effective date of service connection for PTSD was advanced to January 31, 2003. The veteran also received a 30 percent rating for his chronic paranoid schizophrenia as of January 1, 1974.

The Board found that the appellant does not have PTSD related to his brief period of active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board previously denied service connection for schizophrenia, finding that the veteran had pre-existing schizophrenia prior to service and did not become aggravated during active duty. The Court has ordered a remand to obtain clarification from Dr. Rao on whether the veteran's pre-existing neuropsychiatric illness became chronically worsened beyond normal progression.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to clarify the nature and likely etiology of the veteran's psychiatric disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy, a neurological disorder manifested by chronic headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and disorders of the knees. The veteran's claim for a timely appeal on the issue of initial rating for low back injury with mechanical low back pain is still pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and a gastrointestinal disorder due to lack of evidence demonstrating these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and hepatitis were denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for fibromyalgia was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's schizophrenia was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability manifested by PTSD or other innocently acquired psychiatric disability due to disease or injury incurred in service. The veteran's claimed stressors could not be verified, and there is no evidence of combat involvement.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for schizophrenia was denied as his initial claim was received more than one year after discharge from active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence received and VCAA notice requirements.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disorder during service and concluded that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to her military service.

The veteran currently suffers from schizophrenia and there is competent medical evidence establishing that it was incurred during active service. The Board grants service connection for schizophrenia.

The veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 100 percent prior to December 2, 2002. The effective date for this rating is April 30, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including an examination to determine if any current psychiatric disorder is related to service.