PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection for PTSD and depression, including verification of an in-service stressor and determination of whether current diagnoses are related to experiences in stockades.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an October 2017 VA examination report finding that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD under DSM-V. The claim is now pending again.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent prior to May 5, 2017 and increased to 50 percent thereafter. The appeal is denied as the criteria for a higher rating have not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's in-service stressor is related to a fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, and his acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) is related to this stressor. As such, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, was incurred in service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to the unverified stressor. The Board has now remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding his acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, psychosis, mood disorder, and bipolar disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and is REMANDING the remaining claims (left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee conditions) to the agency of original jurisdiction for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been found to cause total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to evidence suggesting a worsening of the condition since the last VA examination in 2012. Additional examination and treatment records are needed.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) and for ulnar neuropathy of the right upper extremity are being addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and reviewing existing records to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or depression that is service-connected.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, warranting TDIU for the period from May 18, 2011 through September 20, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, migraine headaches, and left knee disability have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and panic disorder was rated at 70 percent, but the Board found that this did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to his symptoms. The diabetes with erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were also rated, but no ratings were granted as they did not meet the required schedular criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for major depression and granted it, finding that new evidence submitted since the last final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent disability rating. The Board also found that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current chronic sleep disorder and therefore, service connection for a sleep disorder is denied. The VA examiner found no evidence of erectile dysfunction due to or related to his PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused his coronary artery disease with ischemic heart disease, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.