Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for VCAA notice and further development of the claim.

The Board has granted the appellant's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for schizophrenia and remanded the matter to the RO for further action.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for undifferentiated schizophrenia is denied as there was no prior informal or formal claim filed before July 14, 1976.

The veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, seizure disorder, and psychiatric disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosed psychiatric disability, including PTSD, incurred during his active service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he and his representative have requested withdrawal of their appeals for the issues of special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance, and whether an August 1981 rating decision was clearly and unmistakably erroneous in failing to award such. The issue of reopening a previously denied claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability is remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board found that the veteran's psychiatric disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD incurred in service. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's alcoholism is not service-connected as it was caused by his own willful misconduct, including abuse of alcohol. The acquired psychiatric disability is not related to service and thus cannot be secondary to the alcoholism.

The Board found no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, that is service-connected. The veteran's claims for a chronic cervical disorder were not addressed as they are no longer part of the current appeal.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability, and it is granted.

The veteran is entitled to the payment of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Heartland Medical Center from June 8-11, 2004 due to his service-connected schizophrenia and the fact that a VA facility was not feasibly available.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and the veteran's claims for increased ratings have been addressed in a separate decision. The issues of entitlement to service connection for stomach problems, including hiatal hernia, loss of feeling in the left side, night sweats, chronic fatigue, and a swollen right arm and hand, genitourinary disorder and a psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board found no evidence of a compensable psychiatric disorder in service or within any applicable presumptive period, and no competent, probative evidence linking the veteran's current psychiatric disorder to his period of active service from January 1955 to January 1957. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found no evidence of PTSD and concluded that the veteran's current psychiatric disability is not related to his service. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including dysthymic disorder, was denied.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation on account of a need for regular aid and attendance is denied, as there is no credible or competent evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities require the aid and attendance of another person. The veteran's claim for a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring an automobile or other conveyance with special adaptive equipment is also denied due to lack of qualifying service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's chronic schizophrenia, undifferentiated type with depressive features is manifested by total social and industrial inadaptability for the period June 7, 1989 through August 1, 2002. The Board has granted a 100 percent evaluation based on this finding.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a video conference hearing. The service connection issue remains unresolved and will be addressed in the future.