PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his military service in Korea.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder with anxiety and depression is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, effective October 2006. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD was incurred in active service due to combat-related stressor events, and the Board found that his lay testimony regarding these events is sufficient evidence of their occurrence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete service treatment records. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), right arm numbness, left arm numbness, a sleep disorder, and a heart condition are also being remanded as additional development is needed.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD has been recharacterized as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right arm numbness, left arm numbness, a sleep disorder, and a heart condition remain on appeal.

The Board has awarded an effective date of March 27, 1987 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's original claim was denied in August 1987 and reopened in July 2005 with additional supporting evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD was previously rated at 50% and has now been increased to 70%, effective July 19, 2011. The rating is based on the current severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, are not shown to be related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorders did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service and were not related to his service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 10 percent, effective September 13, 2003. The Board found that the disability picture approximates a 30 percent rating for PTSD but did not meet higher schedular criteria. The Veteran was also granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The issues of entitlement to service connection for fibromyalgia and upper back and neck pain are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of reduced reliability and productivity with 'difficulty' in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, warranting a rating of at least 50 percent prior to August 2, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD was granted, with a rating of 70 percent effective May 1, 2010. The decision also addressed service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by symptoms including nightmares and intrusive thoughts, but does not meet the criteria for a higher initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent from August 24, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical evidence and to provide a VA mental disorders examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted, but the initial rating assigned was 50 percent. The symptoms described were consistent with reduced reliability and productivity due to flattened affect, difficulty understanding complex commands, and impairment of short-term memory.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to October 27, 2010 resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depression, sleep disturbance, hypervigilance, startle response, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores ranging from 47 to 70. This level of disability warranted a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100 percent since November 29, 1999, due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disability, to include dysthymia, did not manifest during service and is not related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.