Citation Nr: 20037582 Decision Date: 06/02/20 Archive Date: 06/02/20 DOCKET NO. 19-26 108 DATE: June 2, 2020 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from October 1986 to October 1989. Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. The Veteran contends that his acquired psychiatric disorder was incurred during his military service. The Board is unable to make an informed decision regarding the Veteran’s claim for service connection because the October 2018 VA examination is inadequate. The October 2018 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s was profoundly impacted by experiencing his wife’s life-threatening battle with cancer, which occurred during his active service. However, the VA examiner then offers a negative opinion by stating the Veteran was affected more by the loss of his marriage than his military service. The VA examiner also noted in the opinion, that the Veteran’s stressor of “a debilitating or life threatening illness of a loved one does not necessarily meet the DSM-5 Criteria for a traumatic event.” The Board finds that this statement is evidence of an incorrect standard applied by the VA examiner’s overall opinion that was also narrowly focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and not applied to the Veteran’s total acquired psychiatric disorder picture. Therefore, on remand, the Veteran should be given a new VA examination. Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303 (2007). It appears the Veteran is receiving Social Security Disability benefits; however, the record does not include any records related to a Social Security Administration determination. Any related records should be obtained on remand. Furthermore, in a January 2011 statement, the Veteran requests to reopen his 1992 claim for PTSD. Although, the claims file contains VA treatment records dating back to September 1995, the claims file does not contain any records pertaining to the Veteran’s 1992 PTSD claim. Since these records are pertinent to the current claim on appeal, on remand the claims file must be associated with the claims file. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Contact the Veteran, and, with the Veteran’s assistance identify and obtain copies of any VA or private records pertaining to the Veteran’s 1992 PTSD claim and add them to the claims file. If VA attempts to obtain any outstanding records which are unavailable, the Veteran should be notified. 2. Request all documents pertaining to any application by the Veteran for SSA disability benefits, including the medical records considered in deciding the claim. 3. After completion of the above, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination (or telehealth interview, review of the record, etc., if an in-person examination is not feasible) to determine the nature and likely etiology of any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disability. Copies of all pertinent records must be made available to the examiner for review. After reviewing the claims file, the examiner is asked to answer the following questions: (a) Identify any currently diagnosed psychiatric disabilities. (b) Is it at least as likely as not (50 percent probability) that any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorder was incurred in or is otherwise related to service? A complete rationale must be provided for all opinions, citing to supporting factual data and medical literature, as appropriate. If the examiner cannot provide an opinion without resort to speculation, the examiner must state whether the need to speculate is due to a deficiency in the state of general medical knowledge (no one could respond given medical science and the known facts), a deficiency in the record (additional facts are required), or the examiner (does not have the knowledge or training) and note what, if any, additional evidence would permit such an opinion to be made. M.E. Larkin Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board M. G. Perkins, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.