PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is due to military sexual trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, finding that the evidence did not establish a current disability or link to service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, flattened affect, mild memory loss, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, anger, irritability, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, flashbacks, and nightmares. The Veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining mental health treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety is being remanded due to the need for additional mental health care records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, as the evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD and establishes that it is related to his fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during his active duty in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD or residuals of a head injury in accordance with the criteria necessary to establish such diagnoses. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been rated at 30 percent since the grant of service connection in July 2011. The disability is characterized by occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a rating of 70 percent for PTSD. The temporary total disability rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 was also granted based on hospital treatment periods.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent disabling since March 23, 2012. For the period from February 6, 2007 to March 23, 2012, the Veteran was found unemployable due to her service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a supplemental opinion from a VA psychologist regarding the diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a VA examination. The case will be reviewed again after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 100% effective from June 30, 2008, when he became unemployable due to the disability. The claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since July 12, 2012. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to a higher rating of 70 percent for his PTSD prior to July 12, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, effective January 2009. The Board found that the disability picture more nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, drug dependency, and a gastrointestinal disability. The appeals were based on direct evidence of these conditions during active service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision. The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder) as it is proximately due to her service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue symptoms. Service connection was also granted for fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent disabling since September 2008, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on his symptoms of flattened affect, recurrent panic attacks, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining private medical records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.